


The Eye of Horus

by Rose_Milburn



Series: The AU life of Ivan Xav Vorpatril [11]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: F/M, Loyalty, Redemption, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 68,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24643768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Milburn/pseuds/Rose_Milburn
Summary: Parallel story withLong Have I Waitedfrom the point of View of Captain (Lauri) Tuomonen and Miles Vorkosigan.There's something wrong in Vandeville. Captain Tuomonen, carrying the can for the Wormhole plot, has been shunted sideways into Vandeville where nothing ever happens and he can do no harm.Except...
Series: The AU life of Ivan Xav Vorpatril [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1001307
Comments: 581
Kudos: 159





	1. Sand Pit Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know. I said I was done.
> 
> There are a few loose ends that need tying up.
> 
> There will be a few bits fudged a bit from the first story, and the time lines have been tweaked a bit.
> 
> I aim to post a new chapter once a week.

Captain Lauri Tuomonen slammed down. His breath whistled out of him even as he rolled, lightning fast, and kicked with vicious intent at the ankles of the man looming over him. Desperate for air he followed up as the man toppled, pinning him with a forearm to the throat and a vicious leg lock. At last he could suck in a breath as his opponent finally conceded and tapped the mat. He rolled away on to his back and lay gasping for a few more moments, only half-hearing the round of applause as the black dots receded and his vision returned to normal. He sat up, extended his hand to his opponent and they both hauled themselves to their feet to bow formally.

“You’re damned good, Harrison. You’re far better than most of the new men I’ve seen come through. How long did you say you’ve been out of basic? Their training must have improved.”

“Six months, sir, but I was junior champion of Vormuir District before I joined. And if I may say so, if you pardon me, you’re damned good yourself.”

“District Junior Champion, eh? That would explain it.” Tuomonen turned to the rest of the squad. “You’ve all got the idea now. We’re not playing here. _You_ could be the last man standing in front of the emperor. Think about it. Nobody gets past you. I want you this good, or at least a damn sight better than that _pathetic_ display I just saw. It’s do as I do from now on. Do as I tell you doesn’t cut it out there. Understand?”

As one, they sprang to attention. “Sir, yes sir.”

He was annoyed with himself. He shouldn’t have criticised the man he’d replaced. It wasn’t good for morale but Major Vorgarin was as useless a pillock as he’d ever seen in ImpSec. The men were sloppy, unfit for the most part and any surveillance carried out was perfunctory to say the least. Harrison and a couple of others were the exceptions, not the norm. All of that was going to change.

“Same time same place tomorrow. Dismissed! Not you, Harrison. Hold back a few minutes.” He waited until the rest of the squad departed for the locker room. “You nearly had me with that toe hold. Care to share the variation you used?”

Harrison wasn’t stupid, Tuomonen was glad to see. He was deferential to his commanding officer, but no pushover. “Sure thing, sir. I’ll show you if you promise not to use it on me any time soon, or we’ll both end up with broken ankles.”

Tuomonen considered for all of five seconds. “Deal.”

Harrison was going to make a damn fine soldier. Once he was dismissed he lingered awhile to glance around the gym. He straightened the mats and returned a few stray weights to the racks before heading out. Aching and bruised himself, Tuomonen used the showers once everyone else had gone. As the hot water streamed down, he took stock. _Vandeville._ If he had to be sent to a shit hole, at least it was a warm one. It could just as easily have been Kyril Island, and that would have been the end of his marriage. From the minute the Lord Auditor called him from the waste heat transfer station in Serifosa Sector back on Komarr, he knew someone was going to carry the can for the shitstorm that ensued. It had been as inevitable as a derelict freighter being pulled into a black hole. There was a bright side, though. He hadn’t been demoted, and little Riika loved the wide open skies and fresh air here. Jenna hadn’t been so keen, but she’d ruthlessly trodden down her agoraphobia and was determined to make the best of it. Little Jukka helped to take her mind off things.

 _Jenna_. Tuomonen towelled himself dry. He’d make it up to her, somehow. None of it had been her fault. Jukka still had six weeks left in his replicator when the transfer orders came through. He shuddered in pained remembrance at the thought of the scene with his mother in law when she found out. Jenna had stood up for him then and her loyalty humbled him. Here he was, a washed-up captain shuffled off to a backwater where he could do no more harm. It _hadn’t_ been his fault. The Lord Auditor had said so, and what’s more, he himself knew so, but none of that mattered. General Allegre had to be seen to do something, and he was the fall guy. _If he didn’t like it he shouldn’t have joined._

Vandeville might be a rural backwater, but he was going to make sure it was the safest damn rural backwater on the planet. No, make that the three worlds. His predecessor had become lazy and complacent, counting down to the day his twenty was up. That wasn’t going to be him. His men deserved better. His own pride wouldn’t let him do anything other than his best. He had a lieutenant and thirty men under his command, not to mention a growing family. _Nothing_ was going to get past him this time. The Horus eyes gleamed back at him as he combed his dark hair and made sure his collar set just so. He tapped the tip of his nose with a lean finger. _Here_. Right here was where the buck stopped.

When he made it to his desk there was a terse message on his com, from HQ Vorbarr Sultana. He wasn’t the only new broom in town, he remembered. There was a new major on the home affairs desk and by the looks of things he was nothing like the last one. He put through a call. There weren’t any preliminaries.

“Tuomonen? I’ve just read your monthly report. I have three words for you. _What the hell?_ Am I supposed to fill in the blanks myself?”

“Major Vorgier insisted on a summary only, major. I can forward my full monthly report by return, and the two previous months’ back copies since I assumed command here if you would prefer that.”

The new guy was quick, and dark, with intelligent eyes in a wiry frame, and he looked to be young for his rank. He was a Greekie, Tuomonen remembered. _Karasavas_.

“Do I look like Major Vorgier to you, Tuomonen?”

“No sir. You look absolutely nothing like Major Vorgier, sir, or his brother the captain with whom I worked on Komarr.”

Karasavas took a deep breath as his eyes narrowed. “You know _Captain_ Vorgier, do you? I went through the Academy with him. Are you telling me there’s a family resemblance? That would explain a great deal. Here’s the bottom line. From now on I expect to be _fully_ informed. Not just the facts, either. I want your analysis and your opinions, too. I want the _feeling_ of the place.”

“Sir, I’m sending through my full report now, and my back reports. If you don’t mind I’d really like you to read them without my input at this stage.”

“There’s something, isn’t there, and you don’t want to bias my opinion? Thank you, Tuomonen, I’ll read these and I’ll be back to you before the end of the day.”

Thirty seconds after Karasavas killed the com Tuomonen pulled the major’s service history, or what was available to his security level, anyway. He’d been the man on the ground in the Vorclarence District affair, eh? So he’d been right at the centre of whatever it was that had gone down there. It must have been huge for the emperor to appoint a new count. There were the most fantastic rumours, but it was Karasavas’s awards that confirmed his suspicions. Imperial Bronze Star, very early promotion to major and a bad luck badge thrown in for good measure. Wounded on active duty, on _domestic_ service? It must have been heavy, whatever it was, and he’d been further rewarded with this new job, too. A regular right little go getter was Major Mikhail Karasavas.

Tuomonen whistled through his teeth as he started on the day’s reports. Things _might_ just be looking up. It wasn’t going to be boring, reporting to Major Karasavas.

“Hi Lauri. Busy day at the office?” Jenna came to meet him at the front door for a hug and a kiss. She reached for his tunic buttons and started to unfasten them. “Take off this straitjacket and relax. —Whoops, watch out!”

Riika came charging in from their tiny garden and leapt for a hug, arms and legs flying. “Da! Da! You’re home.” Lauri snatched her up before she did him a permanent injury. As it was her knee landed perilously close to a very delicate part of his anatomy. Just as quickly she wriggled down again. She grabbed for his hand and tugged at him to follow her. “Come and _see_.”

“Give your Da a chance, Riika.” Jenna tried to keep her face straight, but it didn’t work. Her infectious laughter pealed out. “That nearly made your eyes water.”

He could only grin back, laughing over his shoulder as he was dragged off. “Yep, that’s the closest shave I’ve had today. Talk in a bit. I’m sorry I’m late.”

It was too hot to take the baby to the beach while he was so small so they’d compromised for now with a sand pit and trips to the water park at the botanic gardens. It was a pretty smart sandcastle Riika had built. He sat on one of the garden chairs in the shade of an orange tree as she put the finishing touches to it. “Who lives in there? Prince Charming?”

“Prince Charming? Ma says he’s a social construct. It’s just a pretend castle, like that one we saw.”

“Vorhartung Castle? Let’s make a _pretend_ prince for it, then.” He reached up to pick a few twigs from the orange tree and grabbed a couple of stems of grass. He had a stick man made in no time. “Here you go. Prince VorStickson, the pretend prince.”

“Is that like a pretend emperor?” Riika walked the stick man up to the front door and stuck him into the sand.

“I suppose so. What made you think of that?”

Riika glanced around, completely innocent. “Marcel at school said the emperor was pretending.”

 _Shit!_ What had he just heard? Lauri sat up in a big hurry. “Marcel said what? Is that exactly what he said, honey?”

She wrinkled her nose. “We were doing news, and Miss Miller told us our holidays start when we have the emperor’s birthday next week. Marcel said he was pretending.”

“Are you sure, honey, or did he call him a pretender? It’s quite a big difference.”

Riika thought some more. “I don’t really remember. Miss Miller was really cross with him. She’s always cross with Marcel. He’s naughty, sometimes. She said _why don’t_ you _pretend to be good, Marcel? We’d all like that._ ”

The hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. “What’s Marcel’s other name? His family name, I mean.”

“He’s Marcel Vorwyn. He doesn’t talk to me, and it’s not because I’m a girl. He talks to Elize Vormurtos all the time. He says I’m a jumped up Komarran prole and he’s not going to talk to the likes of me. He’s stupid. I wouldn’t want to talk to him, anyway. He’s never going to pull my hair again because I pulled his right back, and _hard_ , too. I’m bigger than him.”

One of the twigs he still held in his hand snapped in half. He had to look down at it until he could keep his voice even. “Do any of the other children talk to you like that, or pull your hair?”

Riika shrugged. “A couple. It’s mostly just him and Elize. I don’t care. I talk to my friends and ignore them.”

“People used to call me a prole, too, when I was your age. Right up until I finished at the Imperial Academy, in fact.” He flicked at the eyes of Horus on his unbuttoned tunic. “They don’t call me that, now. If it upsets you, I’ll speak to Miss Miller.”

Riika played with the stick man a little longer. She looked up at her Da at last. “Nah, Da, he’s just a stupid boy.”

“You know how I said I couldn’t come to your father daughter day?”

She hunched her shoulders just a little. “Yeah, you aren’t allowed to take time off work. I understand.”

“Well, I’ve changed my mind. It’s on Friday, isn’t it? You tell Miss Miller I’ll be there.”

She jumped up to come and hug him again. “Can you really, Da? That would be so neat. Ma said you were far too busy protecting the emperor.”

He gave her a hug back and ruffled her hair. “I think I just found a way to fit it in. Come on, we need to get washed up before we eat.”

Jenna glanced at him once or twice during dinner. “Is something bothering you, Lauri?”

He couldn’t say exactly what was bothering him. “Just work, but apart from that Jenna told me a boy at school pulled her hair. I don’t like to think of her being bullied.”

His wife nodded. “No, I was cross about it, too. Miss Miller dealt with it at the time, and I was happy with her decision. Riika didn’t care. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you about it. It was the day Jukka vomited in the ground car. Remember? We were so busy cleaning up I completely forgot about Riika.” She turned to her daughter. “Is it still going on, honey?”

Riika shook her head. “No, Ma. Marcel is mean to everybody the same. He’s a pain.”

“I told Riika I can go along on Friday after all. If I get a chance without it being too obvious, I’ll have a word to young Vorwyn.”

Jenna laughed. “You’ll put the fear of god into him.”

Lauri smiled back. “Will I? I hope so.”

Major Karasavas was more than happy with him going to Father and Daughter day. He found what Riika had said as disturbing as Tuomonen did. “I agree with your analysis. The boy was parroting something adults had discussed in his hearing, not just the _pretender_ part but the _jumped up Komarran prole_ part as well. The adjective was _Greekie_ when I heard the same sort of thing, though, and it’s usually from Vor where the only thing they have going for them is their name. They’re the ones that tend to get up to mischief with their champagne tastes and beer budgets. There seem to be quite a few Vorwyns in Vandeville so I expect it will take you a while to run traces on all of them, and their known associates.” He tapped a stylus on his desk. “There's only one _jumped up Komarran prole_ in town I can think of. Couple this with your comments about the over-generous budgets for Winterfair and Emperor’s Birthday celebrations among other things, and the inflated staffing levels at the administration building I’ve decided to take this to General Allegre. Since you’ve mentioned parallels with the recent situation on Komarr I’m going to ask him to request an Imperial Auditor. You’re quite right. Something smells. I’m beginning to think it smells like treason.”

“Lord Auditor Vorkosigan and I worked together on Komarr, sir. He had experience with Colonel Gibbs who exposed the embezzlement there.”

Karasavas considered for a moment. “Carry on as you’re doing, Tuomonen, until I get back to you. Don’t draw too much attention at the Imperial Club. We don’t want them going to ground just yet.”

The major had seen it too, the money being channelled into the Imperial Club. Either someone, or several someones, was on the make, or the funds were being used for something else entirely. Weren’t they privileged enough already without squeezing more from the Imperial budget?

Tuomonen left for work as usual on the Friday morning. He put his squad through circuit training rather than close combat drills as this was one day he didn’t want to risk a bloody nose or a black eye. He detailed off Harrison and Petrov to come with him.

“Combat kit, men. It should make a nice contrast to my dress greens. We might leave the plasma rifle at home though, Harrison. Stunners only, well locked down. Petrov, you can deal with anybody scared into hysterics, or stay with the vehicle. Your choice.”

Harrison bit his lip to hide a grin. Tuomonen regretted his black humour just a little at the sight of Petrov’s wide eyes. “They’re little _kids_ , Petrov. Six and seven year olds. We’re not going to frighten them to death. I would have been thrilled to see a real combat soldier when I was six years old. We’re the only Imperial troops stationed in Vandeville, don’t forget. Carry your helmet unless someone asks you put it on. Smile a lot.”

The ground car, sirens wailing and lights flashing, pulled into the parking lot at the school grounds at 0855. There were noses pressed against the plexiglass in every available vantage point, and Tuomonen saw his daughter hopping from foot to foot with excitement, standing with her teacher and some classmates in the entrance hall. He straightened his cap and grabbed a case from the back seat. Petrov stared again.

“Are you really going to show them that, sir?”

He tucked the fast-penta kit under his arm. “I surely am, Petrov. You stay here though and guard the cruiser, unless I call for you. It’s the adults I want to remind about fast-penta. The kids will just think it’s cool.” With Harrison looming behind he strode off to the entrance and met up with Riika and Miss Miller. The teacher had that wide-eyed caution that so many did when they first saw him. Riika dragged her over to shake hands.

“Miss Miller, you remember my Da. Isn’t this neat?” She looked at the man standing behind him. “I don’t know you. Do you work with my Da?” She remembered her manners all of a sudden and held out her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. Welcome to my school. I’m very pleased to meet you. I’m Riika Tuomonen.”

“Thank you, Miss Tuomonen. I’m Trooper Harrison. Your Da is my superior officer.” There was a pause. “—My boss,” he added at her blank look.

Miss Miller sent them on their way. “Riika will take you to the gymnasium. I’m waiting for three more fathers and then we’ll begin. I thought I might ask you to speak last, Captain Tuomonen, if you can spare the time. I’m sure all the children would love to look at your cruiser, afterwards.”

“I think that can be arranged, Miss Miller, but I need to be back at my desk by 1100hrs.” He wasn’t about to spend all day letting a class of kids crawl all over the cruiser. They could see it from a distance.

The babble in the gymnasium cut off in a heartbeat as they walked in. Instead, there was a concerted gasp, which could have been excitement or horror. Tuomonen wasn’t too sure. Perhaps it was just awe. Harrison, at just under two metres tall in his half armour, was a pretty awesome sight, he had to admit. The man used his brains again, Tuomonen noticed, heading off to the side of the room to go down on one knee to talk to anyone who was brave enough to approach him. It was a skinny little kid in an obviously hand-me-down uniform that had seen better days who was the first to pluck up the courage. His face after Harrison let him try his helmet on was a sight to behold. He’d probably live on the thrill for weeks.

Luckily Miss Miller called the room to order before Harrison was completely inundated and the children all sat cross-legged on the floor in front of a semi-circle of chairs. There were eight or nine other fathers there with their children. They all wore their assorted uniforms, some minor officials from the Admin centre, others tradesmen or medtechs of various sorts. None of them looked like Vor. He tried to work out which of the children were Marcel and Elize but in their school uniforms it was hard to say.

The other fathers gamely struggled through their short talks and answered a few questions. Neither of the fathers he was interested in had shown up, which was a shame but no more than he expected. At last it was his turn he stood up and smiled at them all.

“Good morning. I’m Riika’s Da. My duty and my honour is to guard the emperor and his subjects in Vandeville, to make sure that everything stays peaceful. I have a squad of soldiers like Trooper Harrison here to help me. I sometimes have to interrogate suspects, which means I ask them questions to find out what’s going on. I use fast-penta to make sure they’re telling the truth. This is the kit I use. I’m sure no one here tells fibs, but would anyone like to volunteer to try it out?”

There was dead silence in the room. He had to struggle to keep his face straight. “Miss Miller, would you like to suggest someone?”

She looked at a few faces. “Hmm. Let me see. What about you, Marcel? You always like to talk.”

Young Marcel went white. “No, Miss. I don’t want to try that. I’ll be good.”

Tuomonen looked at the boy who’d bullied Riika. “I have my duty and you all do, too. I’m sure everyone here always tries to do their best work and to be kind, for instance. Sometimes we make mistakes, but the best thing to do is say sorry and try to improve. Is that right?”

There were nods all round. That was enough for them. There was no need to press the point. He indicated Harrison. “Trooper Harrison has some contact cards to give out. There’s room on the steps at headquarters for you all to watch the fireworks for the emperor’s birthday. Ask your Ma or Da to call and book in if you would like to come.”

“ _I’m_ going to the Imperial Club.” It was a young girl who’d been remarkably quiet so far. “Only Vor can go there, though. Marcel is coming with me.”

 _Oho._ Young Miss Elize Vormurtos, no doubt. “Then there’s no need to take a card. Thank you everyone. It’s been a pleasure. We have ten minutes left to take a look at the cruiser, if that suits you, Miss Miller?”

“Yes, that’s wonderful, and we can go to recess after that. Shall we thank all our fathers now, children?”

In the end it was twenty minutes before they got away. Some of the fathers had been just as keen as the children to take a close-up look at the cruiser; probably the ones with clear consciences, no doubt. Harrison reached over to turn off the emergency lights and siren once they were round the first corner.

“Did you get anything, Harrison?” Tuomonen asked.

“Well, I got Miss Miller’s number, sir, but more to the point I did overhear Elize talking to Marcel. She sniffed and said _who would want to go to stupid ImpSec to see the fireworks? Gregor’s not important anyway._ ”

“She called the emperor _Gregor?_ Just like that? A six year old?”

“Marcel hushed her up pretty quick. He was too busy looking over his shoulder for the fast-penta kit. The others were all more interested in the cruiser.”

“Hmm.” Tuomonen stayed silent for a few minutes. It wasn’t until Harrison was about to drive into the secure parking garage that he spoke again. “Did you really get Miss Miller’s number, Harrison?”


	2. Scratching an itch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gregor finds a little job for his favourite Auditor

Miles Vorkosigan answered a request from The Residence to swing by for coffee, which translated as far as he was concerned as a summons to get yourself front and centre now if not before. Emperor Gregor Vorbarra had snatched ten minutes away from the mayhem surrounding the preparations for his birthday and wanted to talk to him. He leaned back in one of the conversation chairs over by the window in his office and regarded his newest Lord Auditor as Gerard poured tea for them. “So, Miles, tell me about Mikhail Karasavas and this interesting theory of his, or should I say Tuomonen’s and his. It’s been shunted up the line all the way to my desk. Guy’s asked for an Auditor and Tuomonen’s asked for it to be you. What about Karasavas, though? I’ve met him, of course, but you’ve worked with the man, haven’t you?”

Miles nodded. “I have, down in New Sheffield. I’d trust him with my back. He’s a good man, very clever, quick on the uptake and he saved our collective butts when he and Vorberg found the biowarfare antidotes. One of them saved Ivan’s life, remember?”

“I do. I remember it well. So you think I should give credence to this theory Karasavas and Tuomonen have cooked up between them? It’s not just Tuomonen’s imagination coupled with an earnest and understandable desire to restore his reputation? Do you really think there’s something afoot in Vandeville, of all places? That’s where Ekaterin and Raine are from, isn’t it? It hardly seems to be a hotbed of intrigue.”

“Tuomonen is a very savvy operator. I was sick at what happened to him after the Komarr affair. If he’s got an itch, in my opinion we should definitely scratch it.”

“There’s _never_ been any dissent or unrest in Vandeville, not that I can remember, anyway. I’m not convinced.”

Miles cocked his head and put up his chin. “Doesn’t that strike you as odd? It would have to be the only place on the whole planet that hasn’t got somebody plotting against you. Out of sight, out of mind was what got us into trouble on Komarr. A year ago, I would have said the Komarran Terraforming Project was the last place I’d ever expect terrorists to be operating.”

Gregor considered. “There is that. What’s Ekaterin going to say if I send you off south just in time for the holiday? _Again_.”

 _Ekaterin_. Miles could feel himself tensing. He was _not_ happy about what Ekaterin was doing today. He sniffed. “Ekaterin dropped everything and ran off to Byerly Vorrutyer’s place at the crack of dawn this morning. Sela Thorne is having trouble trying to nurse their new baby, apparently. I don’t know when I’ll get to see her again.”

Gregor sipped his coffee and almost smiled. “I have trouble imagining Byerly Vorrutyer as a father.”

“I have trouble imagining Byerly Vorrutyer as a fine upstanding citizen, and Ekaterin _works_ with him. He talks to her every day.”

The emperor picked up on the note of indignation in his voice. “You’re not suspicious of them, surely? He won’t let you down, Miles, and neither will Ekaterin.”

“No, of course not, but I don’t have to _like_ it, do I? Plus I made damned sure I sent Roic with her. He’s not going to stand any nonsense from the likes of him. I’m always suspicious about Byerly Vorrutyer, though. You know how that weaselly rat twists things.”

“I’m inclined to be grateful towards your weaselly rat, remember? It does seem to be working out between him and Thorne, doesn’t it? I wasn’t at all sure that marriage of theirs was going to work.”

“A baby should sort things out, one way or another. If he doesn’t cut and run it should be the making of him.”

“He’s a Vorrutyer, Miles. He’s not going to cut and run. Give him _some_ credit.”

“Yes, that’s what bothers me. Vorrutyers are one of two things, fiercely loyal or totally insane.”

“And Richars? What about him?”

“Dead meat, if I had my way.”

Gregor wasn’t _quite_ as bloodthirsty. “Well, we’ll just have to see what happens, won’t we?” The ten minutes was up. There were others clamouring for attention. “I’m going to tell Guy that Karasavas can have his auditor. I’ll send you through the briefing by the end of the day.”

Miles drained his coffee and rose to his feet. _Vandeville_. It could be worse. It could be Kyril Island.“Yours to command, sire.”

Much to his surprise, Ekaterin was home when Miles returned to Vorkosigan House. She came out of the library as Jankowski opened the front door for him. “How’s the new mother?” he asked. “Or the new parent, I should say. That’s gender neutral.”

“Mother is fine, actually. Sela has decided to be called that where Belpierre is concerned, until he’s older. It was a minor emergency we managed to overcome with the judicious aid of a cabbage. He’s such a lovely baby, Miles. He’s already got the Vorrutyer eyes.”

“What’s so special about the Vorrutyer eyes? They’re common as muck Barrayaran brown. Not grey as the winter sky.” He fluttered his lashes at her.

“Oh, come on, Miles. Both Dono and Byerly have got the most gorgeous eyes. They’re enough to set any girl’s heart fluttering. Belpierre’s going to have them, too.”

Wait just a minute, what was this? Miles had been half joking a minute ago. He wasn’t joking any more. “Has Byerly Vorrutyer been flirting with you? Where was Roic when this was happening?”

Ekaterin’s own beautiful blue eyes narrowed slightly. “I thought _your_ eyes were grey, like you said, not green. I’m glad you weren’t there when I was the only one with my top on. There might have been blood on the floor otherwise. Don’t tell me you’re _jealous_ of Byerly Vorrutyer.”

She was stirring him up. Miles tamped down his panic, almost. Was he going to ask? No, he wasn’t. “No, no of course I’m not. Well, yes I am, actually. Not like _that_ but I am jealous of the time you spend with him. I want you to be with me.”

She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “What, like this morning when you were closeted with the Emperor? Or am I supposed to drop everything and follow you wherever it is he’s going to send you this time? Where is it, by the way? Sergyar? Komarr again? You’re a dog in the manger, aren’t you?”

Ekaterin was actually annoyed with him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s not as bad as _that_. He’s sending me to Vandeville. Perhaps you _would_ like to come.”

“Oh, Vandeville! That would be wonderful. I haven’t seen my father in ages. Wait, though.” Her delight faded, to be replaced by a sudden suspicion. “When is this? Not…surely not before the Birthday?” She could read him like a book. “Oh, Miles, we’re hosting all those guests from Hassadar! What am _I_ supposed to do with them? We can’t just cancel.”

He felt like a naughty schoolboy caught in the act. Before he could speak, Ekaterin gave an exasperated sigh and swooped down to kiss him. “Oh, drat. Why am I even surprised? One sniff of action and everything else goes right out of your head. When do you have to leave? Not right now, or even tonight, I hope?”

There was a much warmer look in her eyes now. In fact, it looked like he was forgiven. The bubble of excitement he felt now had nothing to do with the prospect of action. Not that sort of action, anyway. “No, I don’t leave until tomorrow. We’ll have to think of something to do together this evening. Any ideas?”

Pym flew him to Vandeville the next day, with three stingers from the Imperial Flight to escort him, and an ImpSec squad in attendance to boot. Lords Auditor didn’t travel light. He wasn’t going to sneak into Vandeville without anyone noticing.

He didn’t talk until they’d cleared VS Air control, but then the skies were clear and it was a fine day. There was nothing to worry about. “I hope Ma Pym wasn’t too upset, Pym. Did I disturb your Birthday plans?”

Pym glanced across at him. “I don’t think she had any plans involving _me_ , my lord. Armsmen are like the Municipal Guard. I haven’t had an Emperor’s Birthday off duty in fifteen years, not since I broke my ribs one time. She would have done something with her sister and the family, no doubt. Aurie had plans to go out with friends and Arthur is on his Scout camp, as you know, seeing as Master Nikki is with him.”

Pym had broken his ribs on Fat Ninny’s hooves up at Silvy Vale. It was the worst injury he’d ever had as one of Count Aral’s armsmen, and it had been friendly fire. Had Pym really been on duty every holiday since? Ever since he’d been assigned to Miles he had been, certainly. Miles was assailed with guilt. “I’m sorry, Pym. It’s not something I’d thought about, and a good commander should think of things like that. You must be married to a saint.”

Pym kept his gaze straight ahead, but the lines around his eyes softened just a little. “I’ve known that ever since the day I married her, my lord. I was very happy to be assigned to you for her sake, as well as my own. She didn’t take to Sergyar, and she can work here in Vorbarr Sultana, if she wants to. It’s something for her to do when I’m away like this. We did have that nice spell when you went to Komarr without me.” _And look where that got you_. Pym hadn’t been happy about that little excursion.

“At least you don’t have two wives, like old Piotkin. How he got away with that I have no idea. Did you ever meet him?”

“No, my lord. Before my time. You’re not staying at the Imperial Club in Vandeville? That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

With his thoughts turned back to work Miles focussed on the matter at hand. “Not when it’s the Imperial Club I’m investigating, Pym. Captain Tuomonen’s putting me up in the guest suite at ImpSec.”

“In a cell?”

Miles grinned. “I can read your mind, Pym. Much as you might wish things differently, it will have a door control on the inside as well as the outside. It’s witness protection accommodation. You’ll have your own room, too. That should make a nice change for you.”

Pym, the eternal optimist, just shrugged. “It’ll be a nice change if I get to use it. Are you expecting this investigation to last a few days, sir?”

That was always a mistake. “I’m not expecting anything. I don’t get disappointed that way.”

Captain Tuomonen was there to meet him at the flyerport. Miles hadn’t seen him since the last debrief on the Komarr affair. There’d been so much water under the bridge since then, but Tuomonen looked fit and well, at least. Maybe there were one or two more lines on his face, but that quick intelligence was still there and he’d kept himself fit. The main difference lay in his healthy tan, so different to the dome-pale skin he’d last seen. They shook hands with firm cordiality before Tuomonen hustled him into an anonymous ground car, one of three identical vehicles waiting on the apron.

“Welcome to Vandeville, my lord. We’re expecting the most expensive firework show outside Vorbarr Sultana tomorrow night.”

“What? Bigger than Vordarian’s District, or Vorsmythe’s? That would have to be some show.”

“That’s not exactly what I said, my lord, merely the most expensive. There’s a difference.”

“Ah, is that how they do it? Inflate the bills?”

“The set-up started today for the show tomorrow night. We’ll have to see the fireworks first, but my men who saw them last birthday tell me they’re nothing spectacular.”

“And there’s also a dinner hosted by the Administrator at the Imperial Club, you said?”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll be running security for that. On the outside, of course.”

Miles heard the faint note of restraint. “Of course?”

“Only Vor are allowed in the Imperial Club, my lord, unless you can buy your way in, naturally.”

It was a very short trip to the ImpSec building. They arrived before Miles could think of a suitable reply, pulling into the secure underground parking area. Pym and the ImpSec guards politely worked around each other to make sure the way was clear. In no time at all Miles was escorted through into a conference room while Pym disappeared with the baggage. Tuomonen had crossed every t and dotted every I with the briefing material. What he knew Miles knew by the end of an hour. It was obvious, at the end, that Tuomonen’s itch was no hypochondria. Miles could feel the same itch between his shoulder blades. Something was definitely _up_.

Miles woke up the next morning in the Spartan comfort of the guest suite to the smell of coffee. Pym had the coffee pot in one hand and his seizure stimulator in the other. Ekaterin’s orders, no doubt, but he wasn’t three years old. He didn’t need a reward to get an unpleasant task over with, but he did need that coffee. Grudgingly, he checked his levels.

“See, Pym? Nowhere near critical. I’m good for at least a week. Hand over that coffee.” Miles watched the morning vids while he sipped his drink, but there was no mention of his arrival. Had his presence on the South Continent passed without notice, or had Tuomonen managed to suppress the fact? Maybe all the good people at _VVToday_ were more interested in the holiday than the shitstorm that was about to descend on the city. Or just maybe the fools thought the emperor’s Lord Auditor a man of no account. Miles hadn’t wanted publicity, but he didn’t like being ignored, either. After his shower he dressed in a smart, dark grey suit perfectly tailored to his odd shape, and carefully laid his auditor’s chain in place, checking in the mirror to centre the seal exactly over his belt buckle. He was still miffed.

“Ignore _me_ , would they? What’s the administrator’s name again, Pym?”

“Administrator Vorbataille, my lord. He’s the present count’s second cousin once removed.”

“Vorbataille, eh? I wonder how friendly he was with Cousin Louis and our dear friend Theo. There might be more connections to Luca Tarpan than I first thought of. I shall have to ask him. Or he could just be cursed with the same name as a traitor, of course. I'll have to find out. Is the ImpSec team ready?”

Pym nodded as he pulled out a chair at the table in the little dining nook off the lounge room. “Yes, my lord. They will await your pleasure after breakfast.”

 _More_ orders from Ekaterin. Miles had been about to dash off, but the look in Pym’s eye and the smell of hot spiced bread dissuaded him. Just as he finished there was a buzz at the door. Pym crossed to check, then hit the release for Captain Tuomonen to enter.

“Happy Emperor’s Birthday, my lord.”

“Thanks, Tuomonen. Are your men ready? What say we pay a little visit to Administrator Vorbataille and ask to see his books, not to mention every single one of the employees on his payroll. We’re not going to fall for that little game twice.”

Five minutes later Lord Auditor Vorkosigan, surrounded by a squad of grim-faced ImpSec troopers led by an equally grim-faced captain, marched out of ImpSecVV and into the administration building.


	3. At the official residence.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuomonen places Administrator Vorbataille under home detention. What's that I hear you say, you thought his name was Vormercier? No, that was just a figment of your imagination. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this week. I hope to get geared up soon.

Lauri Tuomonen didn’t think he was a vindictive person, merely a pragmatic one, but he did have to dampen down the exquisite glee that threatened to rearrange his facial expression when Administrator Vorbataille walked into his office to find Lord Auditor Vorkosigan sitting behind his desk.

 _Vorbataille_. The man was a slug. He’d gone out of his way to show utter contempt and disdain for Tuomonen since the day he’d first met him. His predecessor had had nothing good to say about the man, and in no short order Tuomonen had been forced to agree with him. He was the epitome of everything bad about the Vor, from his flabby belly to his loud, hectoring voice when speaking to what he insisted on calling his inferiors, to his utter disregard for his staff. He couldn’t open his mouth except to complain about his protection squad. Whatever was coming Vorbataille’s way, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.

The three ImpSec personnel and an armsman only added to the man’s discomfort, They all had their bodycams running to check at leisure, switched on when the call came that Vorbataille was on his way up. The expressions that ran across the Administrator’s face changed from shock to horror to guilt to bland neutrality so swiftly someone less well trained might have missed them altogether. The sickly smile attempting to portray affable welcome was a total fail.

Lord Vorkosigan certainly didn’t miss them. “Ah, Vorbataille. I wasn’t sure we’d have the pleasure of your company on such an auspicious holiday.”

“My Lord Auditor.” Vorbataille was a smooth diplomat. He hid his feelings once again. “I’m shocked that I had no prior notification of your visit. I can only apologise for not being here to receive you properly. Is there a problem, or are you just joining us for the holiday? There’s a dinner tonight at the Imperial Club. It would be a great honour if you would be able to attend.”

“Thank you, no. I’m here to find out if there’s a problem as the emperor has received various reports. I’m afraid I shall have to inconvenience you. I’ll be needing this office for the next few days. Perhaps you’d like to take a little leave of absence. Enjoy the holiday. I’m sure Captain Tuomonen here will detail someone to take you home.”

Vorbataille’s face paled before he threw Tuomonen a glance of fierce loathing. He’d be shrivelled on the floor if looks could kill. “There has been a mistake. I don’t know what Tuomonen has reported—”

“Oh, there’s been a mistake, certainly.” Lord Vorkosigan broke in on him. “It remains to be seen however, just _who_ has made it, and _why_. Please give _Captain_ Tuomonen your comcard, and you will refrain from contacting any Imperial personnel until you’re given leave to do so.”

Vorbataille’s complexion changed from pale to red as he flushed with anger. “I really must protest at this arbitrary and high-handed treatment! I’m accused of no crime, to be arrested like this.”

Tuomonen was glad that the smile spreading across Lord Vorkosigan’s face wasn’t aimed at him. He would have quaked in his shoes if it was. More fool Vorbataille if he didn’t realise just how dangerous the Lord Auditor was. “Who said anything about arrest? I’m sure the good captain can arrange it, if that’s what you prefer. All I’ve done, _for the moment,_ is grant you leave of absence to return to your home, unless there’s something you wish to disclose to me now. Ah, _unbosom_ yourself, as it were.”

“ _Unbosom_ — I have nothing I need to _confess_ , my lord. I find your comments insulting. How dare you come in here, without my leave or knowledge, disrupting my affairs like this? The emperor will hear about it.”

“If being insulted is the worst thing that happens to you this week think yourself lucky, Vorbataille. You don’t honestly think I’d do something like this on my own volition, do you? Who do you suppose could possibly have sent me?” Lord Vorkosigan turned slightly in his chair. His tone left no room for argument. “Captain Tuomonen, please escort the Administrator home. Seal his communications and accounts. You know what to do. Explain the situation to his personal guard.”

“That’s Lieutenant Paxton’s squad, sir. I alerted him to remain on duty after escorting the Administrator here from home this morning.” As Tuomonen moved forward Vorbataille threw up a hand as if to ward him off. He really didn’t know when to show a spot of discretion, did he? “Lord Vorkosigan! What about my wife? She’s so looking forward to the dinner tonight. It’s the highlight of the year for her.”

“She’s sadly been afflicted by the same sudden indisposition. I do hope she gets well soon. I’ll have your secretary let the committee know.”He turned away to the comconsole. The Lord Auditor had already forgotten Vorbataille and his petty complaints as his mind had raced ahead.

Tuomonen held out his hand. “Your comcard, if you please, Administrator. Your vehicle is this way.”

Spluttering with impotent fury, Vorbataille allowed himself to be led off to the basement secure parking.

Tuomonen left Sergeant Tolya with the Lord Auditor and picked up Harrison, Lieutenant Paxton and the duty driver to accompany Vorbataille. The Administrator kept up a storm of abuse all the way to his official residence. Tuomonen bore it patiently. It was all being taped, even the threats.

“You’ll live to regret this, Tuomonen! I have friends you wouldn’t even begin to dream about. And you, Paxton! I thought you were my man.”

Paxton let his guard slip just a little. “ _Your_ man? I’m the _emperor’s_ man sir. I swore my oath to Emperor Gregor Vorbarra and his heirs and successors. _As did you._ ”

Tuomonen had to bite his lip. _Pick the bones out of that one, Vorbataille!_

They pulled up under the porte cochère of the Administrator’s official residence. Tuomonen glanced around as he always did, checking the lines of sight. He invariably felt slightly nauseous at the opulence when he had to visit, which was often. Vorbataille treated him like a lackey, at his personal beck and call. There were extensive, manicured grounds, a swimming pool off to one side and the house itself was a rambling, two-storey structure with wide verandahs shading the french windows and double doors. This had never been built as a fortified stronghold, like all the great houses in Vorbarr Sultana or any of the District capitals. It was a gracious, airy, elegant home fit for a king, or an emperor. It must date back to Mad Yuri’s era, when the South Continent was first settled in earnest. Vorbataille was still the emperor’s representative here, even if he was under house arrest. There were a lot worse places to be in prison.

Ursulette Vorbataille hurried forwards as the door opened. “At last! You’re so late, Paxton—oh” She stopped abruptly as her husband followed the ImpSec lieutenant into the entrance hall. “What’s happened? I’m going to be late for my beautician’s appointment, and I have coffee arranged with dear Agatha. Whatever will she think if I keep her waiting? It’s too bad! What’s going _on_ , Maël?”

Vorbataille practically exploded. “I’ve been arrested, that’s what’s going on. There’s a damned Imperial Auditor sitting in my office prying into my affairs!”

Her reaction would have been ludicrous, if it wasn’t so pathetic. “They can’t do that! Don’t they know who you are? What about my hair and makeup?”

Tuomonen took a deep breath. “I regret the inconvenience, Madame. You plans will need to be rearranged for the next day or two until Lord Vorkosigan finishes his investigation.”

“Vorkosigan? That…that _mutie!_ I won’t have him telling _me_ what to do. I don’t know how he’s encroached himself into the emperor’s favour and I don’t care. He’s a loathsome dwarf that no right-minded Barrayaran should allow to live.”

Paxton blinked in shock. Tuomonen drew in a sharp breath, echoed by Harrison behind him. “I think you’ve said quite enough, Madame. One more word and you’ll be accompanying Lieutenant Paxton to an Imperial Security cell. Threats to an Imperial Auditor’s life amount to treason.”

Madame Vorbataille stared at him for a full ten seconds before she rounded on her husband. “Maël, what are you doing just standing there? This…this _prole_ has threatened to arrest me. Did you not hear him? _Do_ something!”

Vorbataille snarled at her. “What do you want _me_ to do, you stupid woman? Shut your mouth before Tuomonen shuts it for you. Didn’t you hear what I said? I’m under house arrest.”

“It’s home detention at the moment, sir. There is a shade of difference. Perhaps you’d both be more comfortable in the sitting room, while Lieutenant Paxton sees to the comconsoles. I’ll require your personal communicator also, Madame.”

“My what?” She looked about ready to hit him with her handbag. “You’ll have no such thing. How dare you!”

Tuomonen had had enough of Madame Vorbataille. He turned away to usher the Administrator into his sitting room. “Harrison, fetch me that communicator.”

“Yes, sir.” Harrison advanced with some purpose on Madame Vorbataille. She shrieked and turned to run, only to cannon into the chest of Lieutenant Paxton, who’d unobtrusively stepped up behind her. She shrieked again as Harrison deftly removed her handbag and extracted the communicator.

“How dare you! How dare you!”

The commotion had attracted a gaggle of servants to the scene. It looked like a couple of housemaids, the cook and the butler. Not one of them made a move to assist. They were too busy gaping. Tuomonen spoke to the butler. “Everyone is to return to their normal duties. No one is permitted to leave the premises or communicate with anyone outside. That includes the family. Is that _quite_ understood?”

The butler was far too intelligent to argue with an ImpSec order. Whatever loyalty he felt to his employer didn’t stretch as far as attempting to intervene in the proceedings. He didn’t even glance at the Administrator. “At once, sir.” He turned on his tail and fled, ushering the others in front of him.

Vorbataille took hold of his wife by the arm. “Do you want to get yourself stunned? Come and sit down and stop being such a fool. We can’t do anything now. There’s going to be a reckoning, though.” He looked Tuomonen squarely in the eye. “I can promise you there’s going to be a reckoning.”

Tuomonen looked straight back, totally unmoved by the threat. “And no doubt the Lord Auditor will make sure of it. This way, if you please, sir.”

Lieutenant Paxton’s brief had changed slightly, from babysitter to gaoler. It was to be hoped he had a broad back as he wasn’t going to have a pleasant time for the next few hours. Tuomonen left him and the driver to supervise the home detention while Harrison drove him back to the Administration building. No doubt Lord Vorkosigan would have discovered where the bones were buried by now. His former dealings with the pint-sized auditor had left him in no doubt of the man’s abilities. Cross a ferret with a bulldog and dose him up with a few little blue pills, and that was Lord Vorkosigan. There couldn’t be a greater contrast between Vor, comparing Vorkosigan with Vorbataille. Actually, there was no comparison. Lord Vorkosigan, a wreck of a man physically, had more honour in his misshapen little finger than Vorbataille in all his florid corpulence. And that woman had _dared_ call him a mutie…

Tuomonen needed to distract himself. Anger wasn’t a good emotion. “I saw by your records when you were transferred in you spent your first six months’ service on Beta, Harrison. What was that like for a raw trooper?”

Tuomonen saw the flicker of a grin cross the man’s face. “It was quite a learning curve, sir. Have you ever met a herm?”

“One or two. They’re…interesting…people.”

“Yes indeed. I was fresh out of basic, as you know, sir. Training was bad enough for a boy from the backwoods of Vormuir District, although I didn’t actually need the _how to shower_ vid in induction week, but I was never expecting my first deployment to be to the embassy on Beta. I cursed the thought of wearing dress greens every single day.” He paused for a moment, remembering. “I think a soldier in leather riding boots is a very popular choice of fantasy on the _Orb._ I’d read up on the earrings on the trip out, of course, in the orientation pack _._ I somehow missed the part about herms.”

Tuomonen kept his face straight. “So what was your first impression?”

“They’re people sir. I want to say the same as us, but I think they’re better than us, actually; very kind and caring, straightforward and honest. They make very good friends.”

Something puzzled Tuomonen. Harrison was intelligent, articulate, broad-minded and keen as mustard, most unlike the average enlisted man Tuomonen was used to dealing with, even though ImpSec usually rated the better sort of recruit. “Did you never think of applying for a commission, Harrison? It strikes me you would be an ideal candidate for officer training.”

“Not from Vormuir District, sir. That would have required the Count’s endorsement, or a lot more money that I was able to scrounge up. I did try. I never heard back from him.”

“There’s always another chance. Keep your nose clean for another six months and I’ll be happy to recommend you for mature age entry to the Academy. You probably wouldn’t get in at Vorbarr Sultana, but there’s an excellent course in Vorsmythe’s District. The emperor needs men like you.”

Harrison glanced at him again. “That’s very kind of you, sir. I won’t apply to Administrator Vorbataille for a reference.”

Add sense of humour to the list. “Wise decision. I doubt he’ll be an asset on an application by then, anyway.”

Harrison drove the cruiser off to the parking area after dropping his CO off outside the Admin centre. Armsman Pym admitted Tuomonen to the Administrator’s office. The Lord Auditor was _pacing_. He didn’t look happy. Hadn’t he solved the case?


	4. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles starts digging into the Administrator's affairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little tribute to Gwynne's excellent 'Lost and Found' in this chapter. If you haven't read it, you should.
> 
> Oh, and we all know what Vor means, don't we ? ;)

Lord Auditor Vorkosigan waited until the door slid shut behind Captain Tuomonen and the spluttering Administrator. There’d been nothing in the brief to let him suppose the Administrator was a sleazy bully, but he’d taken an instant dislike to the man once he saw him in the flesh. There was certainly plenty of _that_. Everyone knew the story of Captain Maël Vorbataille and how he’d fought with valour at the Hegen Hub. His men had won medals in their ceaseless efforts to rescue survivors from Lord Vorbretten’s doomed ship. His appointment as Administrator had been a hero’s reward, but the Hegen Hub conflict was twelve years past. The man had obviously changed. _Or they’d rewarded the wrong hero,_ a little voice whispered in his ear. It wouldn’t be the first time. He made a mental note to check Vorbataille’s Exec. Miles had heard about the dashing Lieutenant Commander Vorpetrie and his initiatives. Had he been the genius and Vorbataille the one to take the credit? Anything was possible. He needed to talk to a few people. It wasn’t too late to recognise Vorpetrie.

He needed to talk to _Gregor_ before he did anything else. Apart from wishing him a happy birthday the emperor hadn’t been expecting Miles to put his Administrator under house arrest.

Sergeant Tolya had obviously been to the Tuomonen school of initiative. “Shall I make coffee, sir? I’ll speak to the secretary and make sure the committee at the Imperial Club is made aware of the change of plans. I can also make a start on cross-checking the invoices for the fireworks, if that suits you, unless you’d prefer me to attend to any other matters? I think coffee first, though.”

Miles marked the name and nodded his head. “Yes to all of that, Sergeant. I’ll have Pym here, oh, by the way, have you two been introduced? Sergeant Tolya, Armsman Pym, ex-ImpSec security at Vorhartung Castle. He’ll come out and fetch the coffee presently. I’d like you to take over the secretary’s desk and see what you can find out for me.”

“Certainly, my lord. I’ll get right on to it, if you would excuse me, sir.” Tolya came to a reasonably snappy attention and turned on his heel. Intelligent _and_ discreet. Tolya would go far. Miles was left with Pym and the comconsole. There was a semi-awkward silence as Pym looked at him. Miles was _not_ going to squirm.

“Home detention, my lord?” There wasn’t the trace of an expression on Pym’s face.

“Do you think I went too far?”

“Not if you find anything on the comconsole. I’ll go fetch the coffee, shall I, my lord?”

“If you would, please, Pym. I need to talk to my wife, and to the emperor. I can’t decide which one to call first.”

“R.H.I.P.”

“What? Oh, yes. I’ll call the emperor. Thank you, Pym. I haven’t noticed my rank giving _me_ too many privileges, though. Here I am, stuck at the far end of the planet when my friends and my wife are partying in Vorbarr Sultana!”

“Take a look around, my lord.” Pym left him to it. His armsman wasn’t about to listen to his self-pity, especially when he was sitting in one of the most luxurious offices they’d ever seen, including the emperor’s.

Miles’s hand hovered over the keypad before he squared his shoulders and punched up the numbers. Gregor usually kept his desk fairly clean for his birthday. He should be able to talk to him. There was a gratifyingly short delay before the emperor’s face appeared. “Good morning, Gregor. Happy Birthday. I’m sorry I can’t be there to greet you in person.”

The emperor looked well. His normally serious face broke into a slight smile and his eyes lit up at the sight of his cousin. “Miles! Good morning. Thank you for the wonderful present. Laisa and I both love it. It makes a nice change to have been gifted something I can put on public display.”

Miles could only guess. “What did Ivan give you this time? Don’t tell me he ordered in something from the Orb again.”

“It’s probably best not to go into too much detail. I do have to say he’s very thoughtful, though, in that one track way of his. Anyway, as I said, I love the picture.”

“Ekaterin chose it, of course. She has more taste in her little finger than I have in my whole body. We went to a gallery opening. She thought it would be just the thing, and I agreed with her. Olga VV has some serious talent.”

“I could get lost in it. Laisa’s looking into her other works as I think we might have to invest in a few more for our personal collection. What do you have to report from Vandeville? Have you spoken to Maël Vorbataille, yet?”

“Ye…es, well, about that. I sent him home.”

“You…what? You arrested my Imperial Administrator?”

“It’s not arrest. It’s more like he’s _grounded_ , at the moment.”

“With a guard?”

“Well…yes. His personal protection squad _is_ with him, of course.”

“You _arrested_ my Imperial Administrator.” Gregor sighed. “I don’t suppose you actually had any good reasons, at two minutes’ acquaintance?”

“He looked guilty as hell. All shifty, like. He wasn’t happy to see me, or Tuomonen. He’s fiddling the books at the very least.”

“I thought you went there to investigate treason, not peculation.”

“I’m still working on that one, but thirty thousand marks should pay for a lot more fireworks than we’re having tonight.”

“Is that how much they’re costing? The budget here is only twenty-five thousand. You’re right. Something smells. I won’t interfere. Let’s see what happens when you start to dig.”

“Enjoy your party, sire. I hope Ivan manages to enjoy it this year. Say hello to him for me. Oh, and Mark should be presenting the Vorkosigan tribute. It was all arranged before I left.”

“Will do.” The emperor signed off, still a busy man even on his birthday.

Miles had just finished talking to Ekaterin and drained the last of his coffee when his intercom chimed. “Tolya here, my lord. These invoices. It’s hard to believe what I’m seeing.”

“Come on in. No, wait. I’ll come out to you.”

Tolya had the accounts up on a display. “I’m not an accountant, my lord, but even a one-eyed shoemaker can see what’s going on. The invoice from the manufacturer has been through the hands of two different middlemen, both adding their percentage, and the sales tax has been applied at twelve per cent, not ten.”

“They’re surely not that blatant?” Miles checked over the figures. “Fuochi and sons. They’re the manufacturers. That account looks reasonable, if on the high side, but given transport costs their profit margin seems fine. Who’s this?” He pointed to a handling company. “ _Vorwyn Holdings Ltd_. All they’ve done is upped the price and sold on to _Vortorren and Associates_. _They’ve_ got the cheek to put S _uppliers to the Imperial Administrator_ on their bills as if it was an Imperial Warrant!”

Sergeant Tolya tapped a stylus on another line. “Audited by _Vormercier & Vortienne CPA._ There’s not one of them could lie straight in bed, is there?”

“And all signed off by our friend Vorbataille. I wonder what the link is?”

Tolya kept his face straight. “They're all Vor?”

Miles sucked in a deep breath. “I sincerely hope you’re wrong, Sergeant. I’ll commandeer a forensic accountant from headquarters. At least there’s enough here to hold Vorbataille, and we haven’t started on the dinner yet, or the building contracts, stationery suppliers, uniform suppliers and all the rest of it. They’re bleeding Gregor dry.”

Pym had been an interested bystander, but he joined in now. “Vorbataille will remit the normal ten percent sales tax and skim the rest. No one can have looked into this for years. They’ve got everything here already. What do they need more for? Sheer greed?”

Miles started to pace, his feet sinking in the luxurious pile of the carpeting. “Unless…hmm. Let me think.” He strode up and down. Six paces to the window, six paces back. He saw Tolya out of the corner of his eye casting an inquiring gaze in Pym’s direction. His armsman merely settled into the one of the chairs in the waiting area, stretched his legs and folded his arms. Full marks to Tolya. He did the same.

“Unless they’re funding something else, of course!” It was obvious, really. All this money was being funnelled off for a cause, but what? Not just lining Vor pockets, unless he very much missed his guess. There was a buzz at the door. Pym slipped over to open it but Miles continued his pacing, vaguely registering Tuomonen come into the office.

He stopped, abruptly. “Tuomonen! What news?”

Tuomonen looked at him warily. “Administrator Vorbataille and his wife are resting at home. Lieutenant Paxton and a trooper are with them. All com units are sealed, bank accounts frozen and I’ve brought the data with me for analysis. I was rather hoping _you’d_ have news, my lord.”

“Tolya will fill you in. I need more coffee.”

Pym set the carafe in the corner to brew a fresh batch. “Shall I organise lunch, my lord?”

Miles hadn’t thought about food. He caught Pym’s expression. _Of course._ “We all need to eat don’t we? Yes, Pym. Have something brought in. What do you normally do, Tuomonen? Still have your own cook over there in headquarters?”

“Yes, my lord. He’s actually reasonable. We usually have sandwiches and fruit at lunch, unless you’d prefer a hot meal. That can be arranged.”

ImpSec standing orders wouldn’t let just anyone supply lunch for them, especially not now.

“No, that will be fine. Lunch for four then, if you would be so good. Pym, it looks like you don’t have to do a thing. Would you like some time off, until the food gets here? I should be safe with two of ImpSec’s finest to look after me.”

“Thank you, my lord, but no, thank you. I’ll have a wander round the building and loom at people, shall I? See if anyone wants to confess anything and doesn’t like the thought of doing it to ImpSec. There’ll only be the emergency staff in, it being the holiday and all.”

“I’d almost forgotten the Birthday.” Miles was suddenly assailed with guilt. Vorbataille’s wasn’t the only holiday he’d ruined. “Sergeant, did you have plans, or you, Captain? Your little girl must be looking forward to the fireworks tonight.”

Tuomonen grinned. It was the first time Miles had seen him smile. It lightened his whole face. “As it happens, Riika and her mother are coming to watch the fireworks from the office steps, with a few of her school friends. She’s dying of excitement. There are no fireworks on Komarr, of course, so it’s all still very new for her. If duties permit I’ll join them, once I’ve checked on the security at the Imperial Club. I’m certainly not invited to the dinner. Would you like me to arrange an invitation for you, my lord? There might be an unexpected vacancy or two. You may enjoy it.”

“No, Captain, I don’t think so. I don’t want to muddy the waters over there. I’ll be needing a bodyguard tonight and I’ll be watching the fireworks from the steps of the ImpSec office. I’m looking forward to being introduced to Madame Tuomonen and young Riika. How about you, Sergeant Tolya?”

“I’m running the security detail for the club, sir. It’ll be me Captain Tuomonen is checking up on. I’m not married so I won’t have any domestic dramas.”

“So you’ve pulled a double duty?”

Tolya just smiled. “We live to serve, sir. If I didn’t like it I shouldn’t have joined.”

The more they dug the more they found. After lunch Tuomonen checked the work Tolya had been doing. He pulled up another file from his ImpSec records and compared the two. “I thought I recognised these names. They’re absolutely brazen, aren’t they, sir? This is the management committee at the imperial club, and a worse set of dragons you never met in your life.”

Miles ran his stylus down the list of names. “Vorwyn, Vortorren, Vormercier and Vortienne. Why am I not surprised?”

“And young Master Vorwyn was the boy who started this all off, don’t forget.”

Miles rested his head in his hand for a moment. “We need to get in to this Imperial Club, but we’ll cross every T and dot every I first. I think we’ve made a good start. I have some more calls to make this afternoon, so the rest of you take a break. Tolya, you must have things to see to if you’re on duty tonight. Pym, you stay here with me, and Captain Tuomonen can check up on his other duties and his arrangements for his guests tonight. We’ll met again here tomorrow. Tuomonen, I’ll see you at…er what time do the fireworks start?”

“2100 sir. Guests to be cleared and in place no later than 2030. We’ll be serving cupcakes and fruit cup. Schmidt, that’s our cook, has been icing away all afternoon. He’s putting an eye on each one. Not quite the Eye of Horus, but they’ll get the idea.”

“ImpSec cupcakes. _This_ I have to see. I take it we’re not going to tell General Allegre about them? I’ll rendezvous with you at 2015 and…er…mingle. You’ll be off duty to take your family home, Tuomonen, and that’s an order.”

“Very well, my lord. Thank you. I’ll assign Private Harper as personal guard until you’re safely back in your quarters. He’s another one that’s not married.”

“As you wish. Pym’s more than adequate for my needs, though.”

Tuomonen gave him a look. Miles grinned at him. “I know, I know, over your dead body. Anyway, back to the grindstone. I’ll make my calls and see you later.”

There was a personal message waiting for him, from Ivan. Had something gone wrong with the tributes? Was Mark backing out? Miles called him back straight away. What disaster had befallen them all this time?”

“Hey, coz.” Ivan’s genial face wavered into view, He didn’t look worried. Ivan was calling him voluntarily? It was Miles’s turn to be worried.

“Hi Ivan. What’s wrong?”

“Now why should anything be wrong? You’re as far away from me as you can get and still be on planet. Everything’s right with the world. I just wanted to let you know I’m sending you some help. Byerly Vorrutyer’s on his way to Vandeville. I’m lending him an armsman as he’s down there working for the family to redecorate Aceline’s place and he’s also looking for his sister. I’m sure he’ll be able to help you out if you need any weaseling done.”

“Byerly Vorrutyer? You have to be joking! Him help _me_ out? That’ll be the day.”

“He already _has_ helped you out, don’t you forget. Ekaterin never will. Oh, and speaking of Ekaterin, I thought you’d be glad if she was here and he was there. Less fraternising that way. Anyway, Byerly will get there late tomorrow and I’ll talk to Pym and arrange a meeting with you for the day after.”

Miles glowered at his cousin. He was right, damn it. If he had to be on the other side of the planet to Ekaterin, Byerly Vorrutyer could be, too. Ivan rushed on before Miles could say anything.

“I told Byerly you should be able to help find his Juliette. It’ll be a piece of cake for a big shot Auditor. Thanks, Miles. I’ll say hello to Gregor for you tonight.”

His face winked out. “Wait! Ivan! You rat! I can’t do personal work on the emperor’s time. You _know_ that!” He was talking to thin air. Damn Ivan!

Jenna Tuomonen was a lively, vivacious woman with that outspoken forthrightness so typical of Komarrans. Miles could see instantly what had attracted Tuomonen. It was more of a puzzle how _he’d_ managed to attach her, but he certainly had. It was obvious she was completely bonded with him. She had no qualms about giving him a smacking kiss when she arrived on the steps in front of ImpSec VV with a float stroller and an equally vivacious little girl in tow. That was right; Tuomonen had had a second child, a boy. Miles turned his attention to the little girl. What was her name again? Oh, yes.

“Hello, you must be Riika Tuomonen. My name is Miles Vorkosigan.”

Riika put her hands behind her back and moved a little closer to her mother as her eyes widened just a little. “How do you do, sir. I have to wait for my Da. I’m not allowed to talk to strange people without his permission. Oh—” She turned a little pink. “I didn’t mean _you_ were strange, although I’ve never met a grown up that’s not-er…never mind. I just don’t know you.”

Out of the mouth of babes. He had to smile. “That’s fine, Riika. It’s very wise. You listen to your Da.”

Tuomonen extricated himself from his wife just then. “Have you met the Lord Auditor, Riika? It’s my job to look after him while he’s visiting Vandeville.”

Riika promptly stuck her hand out. “Oh, that’s all right then. I can shake hands now. Have you seen fireworks before?” Her eyes glistened with excitement. “I’ll bet it’s going to be _terrific_.”

She wasn’t the least bothered about his odd appearance, just the fact he was a stranger. Miles felt himself warming to the little girl. She was a bit like Ivan’s Marie, actually, both in looks and outgoing personality. “It should be good. It will be starting soon. I hope your little brother likes fireworks. You know they’re going to be very loud?”

“Da has got some ear…ear whatsits for him. What are they called, Da?”

“Ear defenders. They block the sound. I use them myself sometimes. There’s also a pair for you, and yes, you will wear them, young lady, so don’t show me that face.”

She sighed. “Yes, Da. I bet I’ll be the only one.”

He didn’t relent. “And you’ll be the only one not deaf when you’re fifty. You be good and stay here with your Ma. I have to check my duty detail, then I’ll be right back before the fireworks start.”

Miles could see she was longing to explore. “Perhaps Riika can introduce me to her friends, and we’ll snaffle one of those cupcakes before the action begins. What do you say, Riika, if it’s all right with your Da?”

Tuomonen looked horrified. “You don’t have to do that, my lord.”

“Yes, I know, but I want to. Pym’s here, don’t forget.”

Tuomonen glanced at his chrono. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. One cupcake, remember.” He was gone before Miles could decide whether he was talking to Riika or himself. The grin on Pym’s face didn’t help.

“You only get one, as well. Ask Madame Tuomonen if she’d like one, Pym, and save one for the captain, too. It looks like they’re popular.”


	5. An Imperial Officer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation progresses.

Lauri Tuomonen arrived back at the ImpSec building with five minutes to spare. All was well with Tolya over at the Imperial Club, although the security detail was a bit of overkill with the Administrator not there. There were about eighteen children and sundry attached parents all lined up on the steps, each with their security pass clearly on show. He knew that, because he'd checked them all. Lieutenant Paxton was there, finally relieved from his close protection duty. Jenna and Riika, with Jukka in his float stroller tucked into a corner stood next to Lord Vorkosigan still, with his looming armsman guarding his back.

“Da, Da!” Riika jumped up and down. “Here we are. We saved you a cupcake. See?”

He caught sight of his wife over Riika’s head, eyes sparkling with amusement as Riika produced a squished and smeared brillberry cupcake from her pocket.

“And we saved you a fruit cup.” The Lord Auditor’s voice held more than a shade of malicious glee as he produced a bulb of juice from his pocket, mercifully still sealed and intact. “We didn’t want you to miss out on the fun.”

Pym fished something out of _his_ pocket. It was a wet wipe in a small sachet. He didn’t say anything, just handed it over. Lauri hunkered down beside his daughter to take her gift. “That was really thoughtful of you, sweetheart. Thank you very much. Are they delicious?”

“Aha. Mine was… _scrumptious_. I licked the eye off.”

“I can see that.” He popped the seal on the wet wipe and applied it judiciously with a few quick swipes. Just as he finished there was a squeal and a whistle as the first rocket headed for the heavens to blossom in a golden flower with a boom that rattled their teeth. Riika screamed. It was with delight, not terror, he was pleased to see. Riika forgot all about her Da and didn’t notice as he wrapped the cup cake in the wet wipe and disposed of it in the trash as the fireworks crackled and crashed above them. There were oohs and ahhs all around. All too soon, it was over. He caught the Lord Auditor looking at him.

He knew what the man was thinking. “About a third what it should have been?”

“Maybe a half. I’ll have his hide for short-changing these kids.”

Riika didn’t know any better, of course. Her eyes were round with wonder still, until a yawn suddenly split her face.

“You need to take your family home, Captain.” The Auditor ruffled Riika’s curls. “It was very nice to meet you, young lady,” He turned to Jenna. “And you, ma’am. That was a very interesting conversation we had. I hope to see you again in due course, once we get this case buttoned up.”

Lauri wasn’t going anywhere just yet. “I’ll need to wait…ah, here he is. This is Private Harrison, my lord. I’ll hand you over to him.”

Harrison cast Pym a wary look. “I’ll tag along behind. You won’t even know I’m here, sir. I mean, my lord.”

“Sir is fine. I’ll just take a wander round the square, maybe talk to the pyrotechnicians and head back to bed. I won’t keep you long, Harrison.”

He watched them wander into the square, still thronged with families bent on celebrating. “ _What_ did you and the Lord Auditor have to say to each other, Jenna?”

“Oh, you picked up on that, did you?” Jenna knew very well it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. “He asked me about Komarr, so I told him.”

Lauri winced. “I have to work with him, Jenna.”

“And he’s lucky to have you, isn’t he? I don’t know what brought him down here in such a hurry, but it has to be something _you_ found out. He’s a very interesting man, isn’t he? I’ve never seen a Barrayaran like him.”

“I don’t think _anyone_ has ever seen a Barrayaran like him. Lord Auditor Vorkosigan is one of a kind. Come on, I need to take you home. I have to be up early, again.”

To Lauri’s surprise there were two additions to his workout session the next morning. Pym he might have expected but somehow he didn’t equate High Vor with punishing physical exercise, which was a dangerous error on his part, he soon realised. Lord Vorkosigan didn’t spare himself, hammering around the circuit until the sweat ran off him. For an older man into his fifties Pym was superbly fit, too. The Lord Auditor obviously had high standards. There weren’t too many volunteers to face a round of judo with him. Lauri had to send a silent message to Harrison before he reluctantly stepped forward.

Harrison spoke to him in an urgent undertone. “What if I _hurt_ him, sir? He’s no match for my size.”

Lauri checked out the opposition. “By the look in his eye it might just be the other way around, Harrison. Don’t let his size put you off.”

 _Never a truer word._ He watched Harrison pick himself up from the first fall. The Auditor might be small but he was lightning quick. Belatedly, Harrison began to take him seriously. It was a good lesson to all of them and ended up a very close run thing, with a split decision in the Auditor’s favour. He had the ruthless streak Harrison lacked and pressed home every advantage. It was a mistake Lauri didn’t make when Pym invited him to participate in the next bout. He might be fifty, but he was deadly. They were both fighting for breath by the end. Lauri won on points, but Pym could have killed him if they’d been serious. The bow to each other at the end of the bout was filled with respect on both sides.

When he could see again, the expressions on his squad’s faces were priceless. They couldn’t decide who deserved their respect the most. Harrison started the clapping. “Wow, sir. Just wow! And Armsman, that was an _awesome_ demonstration.”

Pym looked fairly grim. He talked in brief bursts as he struggled with his breath. “It’s what's needed, with the high stakes we play. Don’t ever forget that.”

Lauri spent an extra five minutes in a hot shower, allowing the water to play over his aching muscles. The others couldn’t feel much better, surely. Pym, for one though, would never let it show. He had half an hour before he needed to meet up with the Lord Auditor under more formal circumstances. He toyed with the idea of sending for Petrov, the squad’s medic, but dismissed the thought. Once he started popping painkillers he might not stop. He just had time to check his comconsole instead.

There were all the usual morning reports, ranging from the munitions register to what the cook planned for lunch, through the discipline reports to the security briefings from Vorbarr Sultana. There was one last message, marked private, from a name he knew very well. _Enzo Devaux._ In seconds Lauri was transported back to Komarr, and the wreck of the man he’d known so well, then back further to the Imperial Academy when they’d first met, he from Vorpatril’s District and Devaux from Vorclarence’s. They’d been an unlikely team, but it had worked.

He brought up the message and scanned it briefly before returning to the start to read it for what it didn’t say. Enzo was an _armsman_ now, for the emperor’s cousin Count Voralys. Here was a turn of events.

“Good for you, Enzo!” Lauri read on. He’d been far from well when Lauri had last seen him, when he’d put him on a shuttle for the transfer station and back to Barrayar for medical discharge. Something must have happened to turn things around. Enzo was coming to Vandeville, escorting Byerly Vorrutyer. That name rang a bell, but he didn’t have the opportunity to look into him just now. He fired off a hasty reply and shut down his machine. It was time to get over to the Administration office.

They’d kept the news of the visitation screwed down, but word was bound to get out now that all the regular administration staff had started to turn up after the holiday. His first job this morning was going to be requesting backup from General Allegre, quite separate from the Lord Auditor’s forensic accountants. Every single one of these hundred plus employees needed to be interviewed. To do that he’d have to request about ten years’ worth of fast-penta while he was at it. He should have shares in the company! 

They had a conference over coffee, apportioning out and prioritising the jobs. The _to do_ list was growing by the second. Lord Vorkosigan scanned the lists. “So, how many people can we interview before your present supply runs out, Captain?”

“We have eight doses on hand and another batch should be arriving tomorrow. I think we’ll need more, though. I’ll get Paxton on to that now, if you'll excuse me a moment.” He turned to one side and murmured a few words on his wrist com. Lord Vorkosigan waited for him to finish.

“Right. So what we’ve got we’ll use on the Administrator, the bookkeeper and the heads of department down until it runs out.”

“You don’t want to interview Madame Vorbataille, sir?”

“Not at this stage, no. I doubt she’s interested in where the money comes from, just how much she has to spend.”

“Our medic’s going to be a busy man. It’s always a feast or a famine with fast-penta, in my experience. Petrov has probably only administered one or two doses in his career to date, and one of those was probably in basic training. He’ll be getting plenty of practise now.”

Vorkosigan nodded agreement and went on. “I always hold my breath until the allergy test is done. I won't shrink from doing things the hard way, but it’s always best to avoid unpleasantness if we can, isn’t it?”

Lauri suppressed a shudder. The gentle words masked the lethal determination he could see behind them. He’d been involved in one of those interrogations once as a young lieutenant. At least the lead lined hoses had been replaced with shock sticks and other electronic devices these days, but he still had the occasional nightmare about it. He shook off the thought. They weren’t _playing_ cops and robbers here. Sometimes countless lives were at stake. This time it might be the emperor’s. No, he wouldn’t shrink from doing things the hard way, either.

Lord Vorkosigan hadn’t finished. “While I think about it, Tuomonen, I’m expecting a visitor tomorrow. Byerly Vorrutyer is arriving to do some private business for my cousin Count Voralys, but he also may have come to your notice over the Birthday affair last year. He might come in handy doing some surveillance for us. Nobody ever expects Byerly Vorrutyer to be a threat.”

The Birthday plot. Of course! He knew he’d heard the name. “I received separate notice about Vorrutyer this morning, sir. The armsman Count Voralys assigned him is a very old friend of mine from Academy days. He was invalided out of the service after he was captured during a hostage evacuation on Jackson’s Whole. The hostages were recovered safe and well but Major Devaux’s decoy team wasn’t so lucky.”

“He escaped, though?”

“Not really. The Jacksonians sent them to their Cetagandan friends as a good will gesture after they’d finished with them. The Cetagandans sent them back to _us_ via bod pods from a fast courier as a sort of message, I suppose. Enzo made it after three days adrift. The other two were larger men. Their life support ran out before we could get to them.”

Comprehension dawned on the Auditor’s face, “That was Ambassador Vorvolk’s wife and children, wasn’t it? I read the briefs. Major Devaux sacrificed himself to save them.”

“He did, but that was never a problem. He sacrificed his _team’s_ lives. He’s never forgiven himself that he lived and his soldiers didn’t.”

There was a look of empathy on Vorkosigan’s face now. He’d been there too. _Oh, yes._ He’d been there, Lauri could see. It was swiftly masked. “I’m glad he’s coming out the other side. He must be, if he passed fit to be an armsman.”

“I’ll be seeing him tomorrow, sir, if you don’t have other duties for me.”

“No, that fits in very well. You meet up with Devaux while I talk to Vorrutyer. I hope I see him myself but if I don’t and you think it politic tell him I’m very proud of the way he upheld the best traditions of the service.”

“I will, sir. Now, about this first interview. I presume you want to conduct it yourself?”

“I do, and we’ll conduct it and all of the interviews over at your headquarters. Send a team for Vorbataille and have them report to us at the interview room there.”

“I’ll send Harrison. Lieutenant Paxton will already be on his way to relieve the night shift detail. He’ll just have to turn around and come back again.”

The auditor glanced at his chrono. “We’ll aim to start in twenty minutes. You should have Vorbataille all ready for me by then.”

Lauri left his office to see what was going on. He could hear noise coming from the reception area, but when he got there it was actually coming from the lift tube. Vorbataille wasn’t even inside yet.

“Don’t you realise who I am? You can’t _do_ this to me!” With his hands cuffed behind his back Administrator Vorbataille protested vociferously as he was frog marched into reception from the lift vestibule. Harrison wasn’t just a pretty face. He had his security procedures down pat and Vorbataille was going to the interview room whether he liked it or not. They’d come up through the underground parking area and Paxton cleared the waiting area before they brought him in, so there was no one to hear his complaints apart from the corporal on reception.

Vorbataiile tried in vain to twist out of Harrison’s grasp as he was being processed. Kicking back didn’t help much either as the trooper had his half armour on. He saw Lauri waiting off to one side. “You! Call yourself an Imperial officer? You have no idea how much trouble you’re in! How dare these men manhandle me like this? I wan’t my attorney right now!”

Lauri looked at Lieutenant Paxton. “Wouldn’t he come quietly?”

“He wouldn’t come at all, sir. Refused point blank until Harrison persuaded him. I’ve left Tolya and two men with Madame Vorbataille. I’ll let you see the footage and you can decide if you want to charge her with assaulting an officer in the execution of his duty.”

Lauri sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll have to do that later. Administrator Vorbataille, this interview is going to be conducted with or without your consent. Harrison, get your shock stick out. We’re having no more of this useless protest. How’s it going to be, Administrator?”

His only answer was another tirade of abuse. Lauri took the shock stick from Harrison, switched it on to a medium setting and thwacked it down on to the counter ten centimetres from where Vorbataille was leaning on it. The metal trim transferred the current quite nicely. There was a bang, a shower of sparks and a yelp from the prisoner.

“Enough.” He made a show of turning the switch up to high. “The next one is for you. That way.” He pointed the shock stick to the corridor.

All the fight evaporated from Vorbataille. As meekly as a nun’s hen he followed Paxton to the interview room and allowed himself to be pushed into a metal chair on one side of an equally comfortless metal table. Petrov was already there with his sinister case. Paxton unsnapped the shackles and removed them from his wrists. They waited in silence for about two minutes until Lord Vorkosigan entered. With a nod to Paxton and Harrison, Lauri dismissed them. He held up the shock stick where Vorbataille could see it. “I’ll hang on to this for a moment, Harrison. I’ll return it afterwards.”

Lord Vorkosigan turned away from Vorbataille as he sat down in the opposite chair. There was a flicker of amused understanding in his eyes, gone before he turned back to Vorbataille. Lauri and Pym moved out of Vorbataille’s line of sight and stood silently either side of the door.

“Maël Vorbataille, in the name of Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, I require you to answer certain questions I’m about to put to you. Do you consent to the use of fast-penta?”

There was a stunned silence in the room. Petrov, dismissed during the interview, came back to lead Vorbataille out to recover in one of the hospitality rooms, the one with no door release on the inside. The Lord Auditor looked from Lauri to Pym and finally formed the words.

“Captain Tuomonen, you were completely correct earlier. I should have listened to you. It’s not the first time I’ve ignored your advice and I’m sorry for that. Please make arrangements to bring in Madame Vorbataille immediately. Not one word of this to Byerly Vorrutyer or to Armsman Devaux when you see them tomorrow. There’s to be no word to _anyone_ outside this room. We haven’t discovered a plot to overthrow the emperor. I have a horrible feeling we’ve uncovered _two_ plots to overthrow the emperor.”


	6. A woman scorned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vorbataiile and his wife reveal some surprising information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's just a teensy bit of fudging going on here, but don't get too bogged down with who knows what and when We'll just call it author's privilege.

Miles Vorkosigan watched the subtle expressions flit across his emperor’s face. The morning report was more complicated than either of them had expected and he hadn’t even finished yet. Gregor stopped him at one point.

“Stop there a moment, please. Vorbataille is skimming the sales tax funds? But why? He earns in the top one percent of salaries on Barrayar, and he has free food and accommodation to boot. What more can he possibly want?”

“Well, sire, it’s not him, precisely. It’s his wife who wants the money. She’s the one who persuaded him to defraud the Empire. It was anything for a quiet life, or so he says.”

“And you believe this has nothing to do with the other fraud?”

“I don’t think they even know about it. Vorbataille didn’t realise the invoices were so blatantly padded. We haven’t interviewed any of the principals in that affair yet as we’re chasing our tails tracking this one down. It would appear that Richars Vorrutyer is involved with the Vorbatailles up to his neck.”

“ _Richars Vorrutyer?_ How on three worlds did _he_ get mixed up in all this, and when, for that matter? He’s been my guest for over a year now.”

“It’s a family affair. Madame Ursulette Vorbataille doesn’t ring a bell?” He waited a second, but Gregor didn’t really like riddles. “What about Letty Vorrutyer?”

There was a pregnant pause. “Richars’ _sister_? Letty Vorrutyer? I’d forgotten all about her.”

Miles shrugged. “So had I. No, I haven’t forgotten because I don’t think I ever really knew about her. I would have been about eight or ten when she made her debut.”

“I opened the Birthday ball with her when I was sixteen years old.” Gregor thought some more. “Er, Miles, I think I’ve worked out what the connection is.”

“I’d love to hear it. I’m interviewing almost-cousin Letty after I finish here with you. Any clues I can get will be most welcome.”

“Prince Serg made some sort of deal with the Vorrutyers when I was born. It was going to be Dorca and Pierre all over again, apparently.”

“What? Old count Dono would have had none of that, surely? He was totally loyal to Ezar and Piotr.”

“Not with old Dono, or with Pierre.”

Miles stared at Gregor. “What are you saying, Sire?”

“Serg was trying to cement his power base. _François_ Vorrutyer as a younger son was looking to make some alliances.”

“Richars’ father? It goes back that far?”

“Oh, yes. Serg and François, and what could be better than an alliance between their son and daughter.”

“What happened?”

“You have to ask? Apart from the obvious Aral and Cordelia happened. They refused point blank to entertain the idea. I’m very thankful to them. François died not long before old Dono did, under mysterious circumstances. I have a feeling Simon might have known more about that at one time; tying off loose ends if François threatened to harm anyone, unless it was Richars, of course. I wouldn’t put it past him. Anyway, you know the rest.”

“I’ll find out the rest, certainly. I wonder if Letty thought it was a done deal? You had a very narrow escape, you know. You should see her now. Or not, actually. She’d give anyone nightmares.” Miles came back to the matters at hand. “ _Byerly_ Vorrutyer is arriving in Vandeville today. He’s going to be doing some work for Ivan’s mother in law but he’s actually here looking for his sister. She was married off several years ago and he’s lost touch. Ivan thinks he can do some sleuthing for me while he’s here. He’s sending an armsman with him as babysitter. Apparently your man on the spot knows _him_ very well. He’s ex-ImpSec.”

There was a flicker across Gregor’s face. “Ex-ImpSec? It’s not a man named Devaux, is it?”

There was something Gregor wasn’t saying. Miles could see his interest was caught. “Yes, do you know him? Should I be worried?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that. Devaux’s a very good man. I…well, I did him a very bad turn. I pushed too hard and very much regret what happened to his team.”

He looked guilty, Miles realised. Gregor? Guilty about something? “You’d better tell me. It’s eating at you.”  
“I leaned on Guy Allegre a little too hard, I think. He was very new in the job and it was Henri’s aunt and cousins who were kidnapped. He was so distraught. I let my personal feelings interfere. I never do that. I _should_ never do that.”

“Of course! Ambassador _Vorvolk’s_ wife and children. You’re only human, Gregor. You’re not giving Guy enough credit, either. He wouldn’t have pushed his team beyond acceptable risks. It’s a very dangerous business. We both know that. I’m sure Devaux knew that, too. Stop beating yourself up. Did you ask Ivan to give him a job?”

“I suggested him as a candidate, yes. He’s still working through some issues, but he handled meeting Ivan’s Cetagandan Haut just fine. It seems to be working out.” Gregor glanced at his chrono. “Time’s up. Oh, before I go, don’t mention anything to Byerly about his cousin, either of them. We don’t want any conflicts of interest.”

“So you don’t want me to ask Letty where Byerly’s sister is? She’s bound to know.”

“No, keep that separate for now. I’m sure Byerly will get there under his own steam. By all means use him any way you see fit with the other matter, though. He can probably charm his way in under the scanners, knowing him. Talk to you tomorrow, Miles.”

Gregor cut the com. Miles sat staring at the blank comconsole for several minutes, until Pym sounded the intercom from the outer office. “Ten minutes until the interview with Madame Vorbataiile, my lord. You asked me to remind you.”

Miles pulled himself together. “Yes, I’m coming. Thank you, Pym.” His mind was still racing. He needed to concentrate on Letty Vorbataille, not Serg Vorbarra, but if François had been hand in glove with him it opened up a whole range of unpleasant ideas. He was going to have to talk to Richars again, and soon.

Miles marched back into the Administrator’s office. He wanted to throw something. He wanted to spit on the lush, piled carpet. For the first time in his life, he really wanted to punch a woman. No, he could have cheerfully throttled her. He’d left Tuomonen analysing the recording, but the _nerve_ of the woman. She had to be insane. Pierre had been distinctly peculiar, Richars was a malignant narcissist, but Ursulette Vorrutyer took the cake. Miles ripped his Auditor’s chain off his neck and tossed it on the desk. He undid the collar on his formal suit and ran his fingers through his hair. The glitter in her eyes as she sat there and spouted her foul plan truly unsettled him. The only time he’d seen anything similar it had been another woman with plans for Gregor. What had he ever _done_?

“… _He’ll be sorry, Gregor Vorbarra. He’ll be sorry for the day he was born. That should have been my baby in the replicator, but he should be twenty years old now, the Crown Prince. Richars has told me exactly how to do it. It’s totally untraceable, you know. He’ll never guess. He’ll watch his baby die and never guess._ ”

Miles started pacing. How was he going to tell Dono what had happened to his brother? He couldn’t even say it. Letty had pronounced every single syllable perfectly. _Fluorophenylmethylsulfinylphenylimidazolpyridine._ The Cetagandans in all their machinations couldn’t come up with anything worse. Richars was dead meat. Miles toyed with the idea of using the same poison on him. What could be more fitting? Gregor might even agree to it. He paced some more.

Pym pinged his wristcom. “Byerly Vorrutyer is at reception, my lord. I’ll go down and escort him up to see you.”

 _By!_ Miles pulled himself up short. He couldn’t let By know anything was wrong. He nipped into the private bathroom, fastened his collar and whipped a comb through his disordered hair. Would that do? He still looked…what did he look like? Distraught? Incandescently angry? A glass of cold water and a few deep breaths were all he could manage. He rushed back and sat behind the desk seconds before Pym palmed the door lock. He couldn’t let on he’d talked to Gregor. As Byerly walked in Miles came to a decision. He’d plead ignorance to everything remotely Vorrutyer related, and that included Devaux.

By looked his usual outrageous self. He wore a lightweight linen ensemble Miles wouldn’t be seen dead in, but on the lanky Vorrutyer it looked surprisingly good. He rose from the desk to go and shake his hand.

By cocked his head towards his Auditor’s chain. “You don’t feel the need to impress me?”

Miles sat down again, waving By to a seat opposite. “It has its uses, but I only need to impress important people, and crooks, of course. How are you, By? Sela and Belpierre are well, I hope? Ivan tells me you’ve brought them with you.” _Make what you want of that, Vorrutyer._

By’s eyes flickered, but all he did was smile. The old By wouldn’t have let the jibe go, but this was the new By, the _paterfamilias_. The very thought was ludicrous.

“Very well, thank you. Belpierre is growing quickly. He’s over two weeks old now. I can’t remember what life used to be like without him. I’ve learned to check over my shoulder before I leave the house. And your own two are well?”

They were fencing very politely. He didn’t have the patience for social niceties. “I’d show you the holocube but we don’t really have time for socialising. There’s something going on around here and I don’t like the smell of it.” He thought about the imperial Club sideshow. “There’s something I can’t put my finger on.” He literally couldn’t sit still, jumping up to pace again. “It’s not mere peculation. The accountants are chasing the money trail, but it appears to be disappearing into a black hole. The last time I had anything to do with something like this it turned out to be deadly serious. That money was used to try and overthrow the empire. This time I don’t know what it is, yet, but I’ve got a feeling.”

By watched him for a moment or two. “If you’ve been here for a week and you haven’t solved it yet the perpetrators must be very good at covering their tracks. What is it I can help you with?”

He’d only been here three days. By was exaggerating. He felt like screaming with frustration. “I don’t know what I don’t know! The Imperial administrator is bending over backwards to help, or so it appears.” By didn’t need to know it was with the help of fast-penta. “The local business people and landowners are more interested in making a mark than in making mischief, or so it appears, and everything is smelling of roses—”

“Or so it appears.” By finished the sentence for him. “You want me to dig under the appearances. Where does business get done around here? What’s the local equivalent of Shoko’s?”

By should be able to discover something. He knew exactly which rock to look under, after all, as he’d been there himself. “There’s not really anything quite like Shoko’s. Everyone who’s anyone goes to the Imperial Club. Being Vor gives you automatic admission, but upstanding loyal subjects which translates to having enough money, are also invited to join. It’s run by a committee of the worst Vor dragons you ever saw. I’ll get Pym to take you over at lunchtime. He should have enough credit to get even you in.”

It was fun, needling Byerly Vorrutyer, but By was determined to keep his cool, by the looks. He wasn’t above getting a dig or two back in his own subtle way. He wasn’t completely reformed, obviously. By declined Pym’s services.

“Thank you very much, my Lord Auditor. I have my own armsman with me, on loan from Ivan. I’m working on a commission from his mother-in-law at the moment, as well as trying to find my sister.”

“Oh yes, Ivan did mention that when I talked to him. If your sister married a Vor and they still live on the South Continent they’ll belong to the Imperial Club. Good luck getting the membership list out of them, though. Even Gregor would have a job doing that. Did I hear you right? You have one of Ivan’s armsmen with you?”

Byerly nodded. “His name’s Devaux, one of Gregor’s nominees. He seems a very capable sort of person, but he obviously has a history. He’s gone next door to call on an ImpSec captain he met on Komarr, out at Serifosa Dome, apparently. Isn’t that where you met Ekaterin? I’m sure she told me that one time, when we were chatting.”

Jibes about himself were like water off a duck’s back, but By was cleverer than that. He knew exactly how to turn the screw. One mention of Ekaterin and Miles could feel his hackles rising. This would never do. By wasn’t finished.

“Being colleagues, we do get to chat from time to time, especially when you’re away from home.”

Miles bit his tongue. He would never trust Byerly Vorrutyer, but of course he could trust his wife. She had far too much good sense, not to mention good taste, to be seduced by the likes of him. “That would be Captain Tuomonen. He was transferred here shortly after Ekaterin left. Actually, now I come to think about it you should introduce Sela to his wife. Jenna’s Komarran, and struggling with…er…culture shock. Some of the locals are rather insular. They’ve had a second child since they got here. There’s a girl Marie’s age, and now their new boy. Pym can give you the contact details, if your Devaux doesn’t.”

He got rid of By at last and started pacing again. He could feel his anger rising again. It wasn’t a red-hot glow of fury, this time, it was an icy rage mixed with utter determination to have done with Richars Vorrutyer. All that time. Years, even, and the traitor had been plotting with his lunatic sister.

Miles sat down in front of the comconsole. He had to write a report for Gregor. He brought up the keypad, poised himself to type, and paused. What the hell could he say to _Gregor?_ It had to be done. He thought. He thought some more. Perhaps he’d read the transcript first, if Tuomonen had sent it through.

When had he started pacing again? Bewildered, Miles looked around. He wasn’t sitting in front of the desk any more. He didn’t need to read the transcript. He knew every word of it off by heart. He couldn’t put this in writing. He sat back at the desk and put through a priority call to The Residence.

Gregor didn’t mince words. “What the hell’s wrong, Miles? You look dreadful.”

He just had to come out with it. There was no softening this news. “Sire…Gregor, Letty Vorrutyer Vorbataille has plotted with her brother Richars to murder your son. They’ve obtained a lectin protein from the former Bharaputra labs on Jackson’s Whole and were seeking ways to murder Laisa before Letty became besotted with the idea of killing the Crown Prince. Her motive was revenge.”

Even Gregor paled at this news. He couldn’t hide his reaction. “ _Revenge_? On a baby?”

“No, on you, for rejecting her twenty years ago. It’s been festering for all that time, apparently. Vorbataille didn’t know what she wanted the money for. He’s been manipulated very cleverly ever since he took up the role of Administrator. Most of the money has gone into the pockets of the crime bosses. I’ll get some of Guy’s men onto tracing why we didn’t pick up the transfers but I suspect it’s because they were all in her maiden name and as a regular monthly payment to a beauty salon here in Vandeville. It’s a front, of course. As well as washing hair they’ve been laundering money.”

Gregor had recovered some of his composure but his eyes held a very sharp expression. “Why didn’t this come out when you interviewed Richars?”

“I didn’t ask the right questions. We were only interested in his plot to murder Dono at the time. Nobody had suspected him of treason. We underestimated him.”

Gregor wasn’t calm about this _at all_. It was all he could do to sit in his chair. “How far along is this plot? Is there any danger to Xav?”

“They’d never get near Xav. Letty’s not the smartest tool in the shed. It all hinged around her being invited to The Residence when Vorbataiile made his annual report. Last year Laisa was the target but that Birthday Ball didn’t exactly go to plan, did it? She never got the chance to do anything. This year you separated the reporting period, remember? You said the counts were enough to deal with. Vorbataille was due to see you after your talks with my father and the Imperial Counsellor for Komarr. Next week, in fact.”

“Next week—” Gregor just about choked. “What am I going to tell Laisa?”

“Tell her the truth. There’s no danger now.”

“Letty Vorrutyer doesn’t leave that prison cell. I’ll send the order through to Captain Tuomonen.”

Was Tuomonen up to an order like that? He was ImpSec. Of course he was. “I’d like to present your compliments to Richars myself, sire.”

Gregor took a deep breath. “Damn him to hell. I’ll have the paperwork through to you by tomorrow morning. This is one death warrant I’ll have no qualms signing. All we need to know beforehand is the link to Jackson’s Whole. I won’t forget their part in this. My patience has run out, there. This isn’t going to be a job for ImpSec, it’s going to be a job for Admiral Desplains. I want to say good work, Miles, but it’s damnable work. It’s a damnable business. How many more lunatics are out there? I need to think about this. I need to go and hug my baby boy. Get the full report through as soon as possible, please.”


	7. Normal People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauri catches up with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "Seeds of Faith" quote comes from Susan L Taylor, circa 1995.

Lauri Tuomonen didn’t want to admit it, but he was shaken. He sat at his desk with an unpleasant taste in his mouth and acid churning in his stomach. Paxton’s team and his predecessors had been guarding the woman for years, and all the time Ursulette Vorbataille had been planning her revenge on the emperor. She was the worst sort of traitor, a two-faced, lying, scheming hypocrite. The Komarran separatists he’d had to deal with hadn’t been evil to the core like her. They’d been all sorts of crazy, but not evil crazy and not out for revenge just for themselves, however mistaken they were. _That_ he could deal with. _This_ …was something else. How Lord Auditor Vorkosigan had kept his cool, Lauri had no idea. He’d sat there himself listening to her and felt his hands closing into fists as she’d spewed her venom. Miles Vorkosigan’s voice never wavered. He led her on from one question to another, finding out who knew what and when. Vorbataille himself was a pathetic, greedy dupe but he hadn’t been a traitor. That was about the only good thing to be said about him. The nearest Vorkosigan came to breaking was when she started talking about her brother Richars, and the brilliantly clever way Richars had disposed of Count Pierre. Lauri watched as a pulse start to beat in the Auditor’s neck. He must have _iron_ control.

He dealt with the transcripts and reports in a methodical manner, running by the book, sending copies to the Lord Auditor and others to Major Karasavas marked for General Allegre. He didn’t have to think too hard, that way. Madame Vorbataiile would never be allowed to leave custody. She’d either be transferred to the Imperial Penitentiary or…no, he didn’t want to think about that one. It shouldn’t be any different executing a female, but the Barrayaran in him screamed a protest. His job was to protect women. No, that was wrong, too. His job was to protect the emperor and his family. That _female_ had been prepared to kill a helpless baby boy in a vile and sickening way. It didn’t bear thinking of. He’d just send off the reports and wait for orders.

The duty corporal called through. “There’s an armsman here to see you, sir. He says his name is Enzo Devaux.”

 _Enzo!_ Lauri pushed his thoughts aside. “Start processing him through. I’ll be right there.”

Apart from the welcome distraction it was _good_ to see Enzo again. He’d regained his lost weight, and that awful death look had gone. Lauri grasped his hand and pumped it, but that wasn’t enough. He hauled him into a brief but fervent hug, much to the amazement of the duty corporal.

“Here’s a sight for sore eyes. Come on through, Enzo. It’s wonderful to see you!” He waited for the green lights on the scanner, one for energy weapons clear, one for wires or metal objects clear, and one for chemicals clear. The corporal looked up again as a fourth light winked green. _One of us?_ Lauri gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement. _One of the bravest of us, if only you knew, Corporal._

Enzo might looks worlds better, but he wasn’t back to normal yet. Lauri glanced covertly at him as they walked through to the conference room. He’d started to tense up and his breathing was more rapid than he had been. Lauri pressed him down into a chair facing the door, with a table between him and any danger. “Here let me make you a coffee. You’re not on duty, Enzo. You’ve been stood down. The emperor shook your hand and thanked you for your service, remember? Just breathe. Remember your safe words?”

“Seeds of faith.”

“That’s right” Lauri poured the coffee and wrapped Enzo’s hand around the cup. “ _Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth._ Now drink.”

“Seeds of faith.” Enzo held the coffee, but that was all. With a huge effort he controlled his breathing. He wasn’t going to panic. “The emperor planted a few of those. He sent me along to Count Voralys to try out for an armsman. I thought he was mad.”

Lauri poured himself a coffee. “He can’t have been too crazy, if Count Voralys swore you in.”

“He said I could stay on-planet. He said…he said he’d have another nineteen armsmen to take with him on a jump ship.” Enzo was beginning to calm down. “I could handle everything on the course, Lauri, except the bod pod drill. I thought I’d washed out.”

It was best to let him talk. “What happened?”

Enzo shrugged. “Count Voralys found me heaving my guts out around the back of the training facility. He said it was better to find out sooner rather than later, and he still wanted me. He even said I could take the night shift. I didn’t have to worry about anyone else on nights. I could work on my own. I can never thank him enough.”

Time to change the subject. “You’re not working nights now, though, are you? The count’s got you on babysitting duty.”

Enzo almost laughed. “Literally. I’m looking after a High Vor town clown, his Betan herm partner and their brand new baby boy. Only he’s more than he seems, this Byerly Vorrutyer. I get the impression he’s a _very_ clever man, for all his finicky ways and mannerisms.”

Lauri sipped his cooling drink. Enzo still hadn’t touched his. “I pulled his file last night. Let’s just say that he’s a very colourful character but he has his own way of working for the emperor. He’s a loyal man. You can trust him.”

“I like him. He’s outrageous and outspoken and snarky and doesn’t give a damn about anybody’s opinion of him, apart from the herm. Have you dealt with herms before? I worked with several of them, on Beta.”

“I pulled Sela Thorne’s file, too. It doesn’t say much, but its security level is up there. It was at the Birthday Ball last year and threatened to punch Guy Allegre when it was taken in for questioning.”

Enzo’s eyes widened. “I’d heard. Sela’s _that_ herm? It’s _famous_ in ImpSec.”

“It is indeed. It wouldn’t leave until the General had Byerly Vorrutyer released as well. Threatened him with the Betan ambassador and the War Crimes commission and all sorts of things. My company sergeant was there. His name’s Tolya, if you should come across him. Ask him to tell you the story. It’s worth hearing. There’s a feather fan involved, too.”

“Feather…is that some kind of code?”

Lauri felt his lips twitch. “Tolya can tell you about Father Frost and the Ice Maiden, as well. There’s nothing restricted about that one. It even made the news last Winterfair.”

Enzo had relaxed again. This was probably the first time he’d been back inside an ImpSec office since he’d been discharged. It was another hurdle overcome. He still looked strained, but not panic-stricken any more. The coffee had cooled in its cup.

“So how’s Jenna, and Riika? She must be twice the size by now, and I haven’t said congratulations on your new boy, either. Got any pictures?”

“ _Got any pictures_? Can a fish swim?” Lauri dug a holocube out of his pocket. Somehow he rather thought he, like Enzo Devaux, needed something wholesome and _normal_ right now. Would Enzo ever get back to some kind of normal? Maybe not. Enzo still hadn’t drunk his coffee. He wasn’t going to eat or drink anything, Lauri realised, not even from him.

They must have looked at fifty images before the long-suffering duty corporal let him know about another visitor. “Armsman Pym is here, sir, escorting Byerly Vorrutyer to see you.”

“Thank you. I’ll be right out.”

So this was Byerly Vorrutyer. Lauri kept his features impassive as they shook hands. Outré didn’t begin to describe him, but Lauri had met Town Clowns before, _and_ their equivalent on Komarr. Vorrutyer was hard and lean, with a look of intelligence in his speaking brown eyes that belied his slouch and cultivated raffish air. The man wore a very fine disguise, didn’t he? The fourth green light flashed again as he passed through security. The desk corporal didn’t even blink this time. He was obviously getting used to visitors being covert ImpSec operatives.

By the time they got back to the interview room Enzo had tensed up again. He sprang to attention as Vorrutyer entered, ill-at-ease in the situation, even if it was a friendly one. One glance at the new visitor told him Vorrutyer didn’t expect deference. Lauri was impressed at the way Vorrutyer tried to put his borrowed armsman at ease.

“Meeting old friends brings back old memories, doesn’t it?” He shook his head as Lauri held up the coffee carafe. “There’s no need to explain anything. You just take your time. I’m sure the good captain here isn’t going to accept me into his confidence without a few pertinent questions.”

Yes, Vorrutyer had style. Lauri could like this man, and he didn’t usually make snap decisions. “Actually, sir, I already know most of the things I need to know. The Lord Auditor has informed me of your involvement with the Birthday Plot, your security clearance is higher than I expected, and you come recommended. I’ll tell you what I know, and what I think the both of you can help us with.” Obviously he wasn’t going to mention the man’s cousin presently languishing in a cell not twenty metres away. That was all over bar the shouting, anyway. “There are some undercurrents in Vandeville, and in the South Continent in general, about the pace of change on Barrayar. The emperor’s marriage to a Komarran did not go down well here, for example, and on a personal note our family has met with some…distancing…I think I can call it, and not just because of my role in ImpSec. My wife has been subject to some prejudice now that word has got around that she’s Komarran. Ignorance we can deal with, but there’s something more going on that’s too nebulous to name just at present.”

Vorrutyer was nothing if not direct. “Are you thinking armed revolt, to put it plainly? If there’s money disappearing into a black hole there’s probably a Jacksonian baron at the end of it with a whole lot of munitions he'd like to sell.”

Lauri nodded. “It’s one possibility. The Conservative party has a much greater level of support here than the Progressives do. Count Vormoncrief is something of a hero. There’s also the French connection. Count Vorville, for example, has extensive land holdings. Lord Luciano Vortrifrani also lives here. His brother the count has some extremist views.”

There were wheels turning in Vorrutyer’s head. “You haven’t mentioned Vorkalloner or Vortaine. What of them?”

“There’s no suspicion around Count Vorkalloner that I know of. He doesn’t have dealings in the South Continent so he hasn’t come to my attention. Count Vortaine does have a nephew living here, who is somewhat reclusive. He’s never come to ImpSec’s notice in a bad light.”

“Hmm. I need to meet some of these people. They’re going to love me, these stuffy old sticks, and if a Komarran is beyond the pale it’s going to be enlightening seeing what they make of a Betan herm. I’m going to need to keep a close eye on Sela’s safety and comfort. I didn’t bring it here to put it in any danger. Lord Vorkosigan suggested Sela might like to meet your wife, Captain. We both have sons about the same age, apparently.”

So Lord Vorkosigan had noticed. He’d probably picked up on Jenna’s unhappiness when he’d chatted to her before the fireworks. Lauri would try anything to ease his wife’s misery. “I’m sure Jenna will be delighted. She’d love to talk to someone with the same Galactic notions she has herself. They can put their heads together and tear us barbaric Barrayarans to pieces. It’s a much better idea than her taking it all out on me.”He thought about it for a moment. “I do have to say she has every right. I’d forgotten how rural rural Vor can be, if I ever fully realised it in the first place. I’m from New Evias, myself. I thought that was bad enough.”

The meeting was starting to press into his time. Lauri glanced at his chrono. Vorrutyer picked up on it and stood up.

“Time for lunch, I think. Do you want to stay here, Devaux?”

Enzo couldn’t wait to get out of the place by the looks of things, but Vorrutyer wasn’t finished. “Captain Tuomonen and his good lady should come to dinner tonight and bring the children, of course. Sela can talk to Jenna, you can talk to Tuomonen, and I—.” He broke off as a look of acute horror crossed his face as he realised what he was about to say. “—I can babysit.”

There was just time to give his wife a quick call before he returned to more pressing matters. Jenna was home. She didn’t go out much, except to take Riika to school or to buy groceries. She explained it away when he commented that she was busy bonding with Jukka, but Lauri didn’t buy it. She had no friends.

Her voice was as cheery as ever, though. “Hey, handsome! This is a surprise. What’s up?”

“How would you like to go out for dinner tonight and meet a Betan herm with a new baby boy? Oh, and its eccentric Vor partner. They’re here in Vandeville to do some decorating work for Count Voralys, and he’s sent an armsman with them. It’s not just any old armsman. It’s Enzo Devaux.”

“Enzo? Oh, how wonderful! He’s all right, then?”

Jenna had taken more than her fair share of holding tight to Enzo when the worst of the terrors had hit him. He’d stayed at their house on Komarr for the duration. Jenna had always hugged _him_ all the tighter once Enzo had dropped back to sleep and she’d crawled back to bed. She’d said it, once. _There but for the grace of God_. It couldn’t be good, being the wife of an ImpSec officer. He had no idea how he’d ever managed to marry Jenna, but he was grateful for it every day.

“He’s vastly improved. You’ll get to see what he was like before the shit hit the fan. I think you’ll enjoy yourself. Say you’ll come.”

“Of course I’ll come. The question is, will _you_ come because I know you’re eyebrow deep in a case. Can you get the time?”

“I’ll come.” He’d warn Paxton and Tolya. They were both capable men and they’d be able to hold the fort between them. Lauri hadn’t worn anything other than his uniform or his workout gear for a month now. He needed a break.

“That’s a date then. Do I need to find a babysitter?”

“No, the children are invited. It’s a family dinner. I’ll get the address.”

“We should take something. I’ll make a dessert.”

“That would be wonderful. Brillberry torte?”

Jenna wrinkled her nose at brillberry, even though she knew it was his favourite. She made no promises. “We’ll see.” She kissed her fingers at him. “See you when you get home. Love you.”

“Love you.” He signed off. It wasn’t just a platitude. He really did love Jenna. She was his lodestar and dearer to him than his own life.

Sela Thorne was an absolute delight. Lauri watched with more than a pang of sadness as Jenna blossomed as she chatted with the herm, comparing baby stories. Byerly Vorrutyer’s idea of in-home casual brought a smile to his face, but he very good naturedly took Riika off to the kitchen to help while Lauri chatted to Enzo.

“Did you two go through the Imperial Academy together?” Vorrutyer asked, as he came back with a plate of cheese and olives.

Enzo grinned. He looked so much more relaxed, away from ImpSec. “Sure did. We went our different ways when we graduated, though. I went to language school and Lauri was whisked off for something top secret in electronic surveillance. We didn’t see each other again for nearly seven years, until I got my sorry ass hauled back to Komarr. Lauri was in charge of my debrief, but he did more than that. He probably saved my sanity, if not my life. I’m not going to forget.”

That was more words than he’d heard Enzo string together for…well, for years, actually, since they met on leave on Beta. He’d forgotten all about that leave on Beta. The memory brought a grin to his face. “Well, fair’s fair. You saved my ass when that—oh, never mind. It’s not fit for little ears. How did you get on today, Vorrutyer? Anything I can use?”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Jenna had heard him from half way across the room. “No shop. Not one word. You can debrief Byerly later. Sela and I have decided to go for a picnic tomorrow, if we can borrow the ground car and Enzo, if he doesn’t mind.”

She smiled brightly at them, working her wiles. “Surely By impressed enough people already today? It’s our turn to go out and he can work from home. I thought we’d go to the Botanic gardens. Riika can play under the sprinklers and Sela and I can sit in the shade and gossip.”

So Vorrutyer wasn’t just Byerly, he was _By_ already. Jenna never stood on ceremony. It would be great if she made friends, though. He sighed with relief when Vorrutyer agreed. The conversation flowed on around him and he could barely fit a word in sideways. Enzo didn’t have to say anything, either. He just sat back and enjoyed the show as Sela became more outrageous and _By_ tried to squash it.

The biggest drama of the night was Riika knocking her drink over. Ten hours ago he and the Auditor had been dealing with high treason. Ordinary, normal people dealt with spilled juice.

As it should be.


	8. Get Me Guy Allegre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Auditor runs through his stock of fast-penta. He's not a happy man.

Miles Vorkosigan did not sleep well. Tuomonen had invited him along to a family dinner at the house where Byerly Vorrutyer was staying, but… _Byerly Vorrutyer_. He wasn’t up to dealing with By and Sela together just now, plus there was Pym to feed as well. _Two_ extras might well strain the friendship. He’d stayed home instead, a funny sort of term for his ImpSec accommodation, and read up on reports while Pym had a few hours off.

Once he did go to bed every time he closed his eyes visions of poisoned babies disturbed his thoughts. He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, gave up and started pacing and only went back to bed when Pym appeared in his doorway with one of those looks on his face and a sleep timer in his hand, as if to say _leave you alone for three hours and look what happens_.

“No arguments, my lord. I’m under orders.”

 _Ekaterin_. She didn’t trust him, did she? Probably from long experience of having her husband return from little jobs for Gregor looking like death warmed up. Or even before he was her husband, come to think of it. It was only a two hour dose, but it did the trick at last as the visions of Letty Vorbataille’s twisted features and Gregor’s murdered son finally faded from his consciousness.

The first thing he did the next morning was call Ekaterin. His spirits lifted at the sight of her beautiful face breaking into a smile as she looked at him. She was the first to speak.

“Have you not been sleeping? You look stressed.”

“I slept, thanks to you and Pym. Things have turned a little nasty here, and I’m not even half way through the case. Something else entirely came up.”

“Oh, that’s not good news, but why am I not surprised? If you’re going to be there for a few more days I should come and join you. I always wanted to visit the Imperial Club when I was growing up but it was too expensive for the likes of us. I should book a room there. What do you say?”

What could he say? She saw the doubt in his eyes. “Not a good idea? Should I just stay with my father and Violie?”

“That would be better, until we see what’s going on here. In fact, if you could delay your trip for a couple of days that would be better still. I don’t think there’s any serious danger here, but you know how quickly things can escalate.”

“If you insist. I miss you, Miles. Aral Alexander and Helen Natalia miss you, too. Don’t forget you’ve got them to come home to as well.” She paused for a moment and a little crease appeared between her brows. “What is it? What did I say? Something about the babies?”

He took a deep breath. Could she read him that well? “Nothing I can talk about. Perhaps, if you get the chance, speak to Gregor today. He might need someone to give him a hug right about now. I have to go, dearest heart of mine.” He kissed his fingers and held them up to the hologram. “Love you to the stars and back.”

“I’ll love you to the bedroom and back the minute you get in that front door again.”

 _Ooh_ , Ekaterin being saucy. It lightened his whole mood. He could feel a grin spread across his face. “I might have to hold you to that.”

“Darn right you will. Or I will. I love you.” She cut the com. He was still grinning like a loon when Pym found him. His armsman had his workout kit on.

“Not coming this morning, my lord?”

Was it that time already? Miles hurried to scramble into his kit. No time for a coffee first. Pym had let him sleep. He thought longingly of his coffee as they rode down the lift tube to the basement gym. There’s be time for one later. Tuomonen was already there, not a hair out of place as he pulled himself up on the high bar. The man even _sweated_ elegantly as he ran through his chin-ups. Or was that pull-ups? Not that it affected the price of fish. Miles went through his warm up drill with Pym and deliberately stopped thinking. It was time to give his brain a rest as he worked on his muscles.

They dispensed with the judo session that morning as there were too many interviews waiting for them. It was best to make an early start. Tuomonen had detailed Lieutenant Paxton to organise the incoming personnel from headquarters. ImpSec VV wasn’t a huge building like the one in Vorbarr Sultana and Paxton was going to be fitting them in like sardines by the time he’d finished. Miles had never tasted sardines, to his knowledge, and he didn’t even know what they fitted _in_ , some archaic container or other, but he had seen salted trout in barrels at Vorkosigan Surleau. They were pretty well packed, head to tail. Hopefull it didn’t come to that in the accommodation.

Miles, Pym, Tuomonen and a guard met to cross the short distance over to the Administration building. It was Private Harrison, the one who’d shadowed him after the fireworks. Miles nodded a brief good morning as Harrison brought his plasma rifle up the the present. Like any good ImpSec trooper faced with his commanding officer, a Lord Auditor and an armsman he kept his mouth shut and walked two paces behind. He scanned the square thoroughly before letting them outside, though.

It was already warm at 0700 hours, with the sun sparkling on the fountain and the people making their way to work dressed in bright, airy colours. There probably wasn’t a one of them that even owned a papakha or a greatcoat, never mind ever wore one. Miles paused on the front steps, where he’d watched the fireworks, to take in the scene. The climate did his joints good. He would have to think about spending more time here as he aged. Ekaterin would like that, no doubt.

He gave himself a mental shake. Yes, the thought of aging was rather a novel one. He might make it to sixty or seventy, but he was never going to make old bones, like his grandfather who’d been as tough as old whipcord well into his nineties. It was time to get on with things and make the most of the time he did have. His first coffee hadn’t done him much good. He’d get Pym to make him a second one before they started in on the morning list. He ran down the steps and strode off, Tuomonen right beside him.

“How did the dinner go last night, Tuomonen? What did Jenna think of Sela Thorne?”

Tuomonen flashed him a startling grin. “You should have seen the pair of them, my lord. Not even Vorrutyer could fit a word in edgewise. I just sat back and watched them. I haven’t seen Jenna that animated in months. Since before we left for Barrayar, actually. She had a wonderful time. They’re meeting up again today to go to the water park at the Botanic Gardens. Devaux is going with them and Vorrutyer has promised to stay home and keep his nose clean.”

“That will be a first for Byerly Vorrutyer, but Sela has done wonderful things for him. I could never associate Byerly Vorrutyer with _responsibility_ , before this, but he’s meticulous in the way he looks after Sela, not to mention little Belpierre. He’s good at his decorating work, too. Voralys House looks first class now that he’s done it up.”

“He didn’t have anything very polite to say about the…er…ladies on the committee at the Imperial Club. He especially didn’t like the way they treated Devaux, apparently.”

“I can imagine By would come up with some unusual adjectives. I would think the noun would be dragons.”

“Among other things. _Voracious harpies_ was a good one, but _quidnuncs_ was the best. Devaux had already looked it up, so I didn’t have to.”

Miles huffed. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black. Byerly Vorrutyer’s the biggest quidnunc I’ve ever met. It was his stock in trade for years. It was the only way he could get to parties, to have all the best gossip before everyone else did.”

They reached the entrance to the Administration building and the chat ceased. Harrison took up station in the entrance, leaving the other three to their own devices. The reception staff wore the emperor’s green. Some of the reinforcements from Vorbarr Sultana, no doubt. They scrambled to attention when Miles walked in but he only acknowledged them in passing as he headed for the Administrator’s office. Another day another traitor, or so it seemed.

It was an unending stream of variations on the theme of _I was only following orders, my lord._ Miles grew more and more disgusted with the procession of spineless bureaucrats whose only ambitions were to polish the seats of their pants, not rock the boat and hold on to their lucrative Imperial jobs for as long as they possibly could. It wasn’t until the deputy assistant to the second under secretary for finance was ushered in that he at last found somebody that wasn’t happy with the status quo. Lindy Leclerq was a recent graduate in accounting from Vorbarr Sultana University, small, quick and dark with fluttering, expressive hands. She had words to say about the assistant to the second under secretary, the second under secretary, the _first_ under secretary _and_ the secretary himself. She had more words to say about Administrator Vorbataille. It was really quite refreshing, and he hadn’t had to even mention fast-penta. Mademoiselle Leclerq wanted to know what had taken him so long.

“And I’m going to go down with the sinking ship,” she ended bitterly. “I’ve only _been_ in the job six months. I’ll never get another one now. Nobody would _listen_ to me. You can’t charge _twelve per cent_ sales tax. It’s illegal! The under secretary even tried to tell me it was a regional variation. What a load of…of…” She ran out of steam.

“Horse pucky? Turkey turd? I agree with you.” Miles studied the woman in front of him. She was flushed with indignation, her eyes sparkled with anger and there wasn’t a devious bone in her body. “Mademoiselle Leclerq, I must tell you. You're right. You’ve lost your job. I’m appointing you second under secretary instead. The previous holder of that post will be explaining his actions to the emperor. No, make that _first_ under secretary. You’ll be reporting to Major Vorgarin. He’s the forensic accountant ImpSec has sent me to help with this mess. You can make his life a lot easier if you know where the bodies are buried.”

She sat there, stunned to silence. Her mouth opened once, then closed again. She shook her head and blinked. She found words at last. “You’re not firing me?”

He smiled. “No, I’m promoting you. Emperor Gregor Vorbarra needs your help.”

“If I’d known where the bodies are buried I’d have come to ImpSec as soon as I found out. I can point him in the right direction to look for them, though. I—” She paused as tears sprang to her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you, my lord, except to say I won’t let you down.”

“It’s the emperor you’ll be letting down. We’re all _his_ subjects, don’t forget.”

“I won’t forget. Thank you, my lord. Just…thank you.”

He had a late lunch with Tuomonen, who had no plans to go home that evening. The reports and logistic problems were piling up around his head faster than he could turn around. Miles felt some empathy for him; he’d never liked the bullshit part of investigations either. It was quite pleasant having someone else to hand it off to. They had made _some_ progress, though, in sorting the wheat from the chaff in administration. The rot seemed to be confined to the finance department. There was nothing but the usual petty corruption in the Municipal Guard, which would no doubt vanish with an Imperial Auditor breathing down the Commander’s neck.

“We might get a chance to look into the civilian contractors tomorrow,” he remarked to Tuomonen as thy finished up their ImpSec standard stroganoff. There was nothing to linger over. Pym had eaten with them, so they were three round the table.Tuomonen cleared away the empty plates before Pym could do it. There was an orderly around who would do the actual washing up.

Tuomonen sighed. “I won’t be disturbing you for the rest of the day, my lord. I won’t be leaving my office for the next two _months_ , the way things are going. I sent Harrison for my spare uniforms this morning. Jenna probably won’t even notice I’m gone. She’ll be having too much fun with Sela. I don’t know if I should be jealous or not.”

“Jealous of her time, maybe. You can’t doubt her loyalty.”

“No, of course not. I’d better get back to the salt mine.”

Miles headed back to his quarters to read over the interview transcripts, checking to see if he’d missed anything. His eyes began to cross. It didn’t do much good propping his head up with one hand. Maybe if he rested it on the desk for a moment…

Pym shook him by the shoulder. “There’s a report from Byerly Vorrutyer, my lord. I think it may be urgent.”

Miles groaned as he rubbed his eyes. Damn Byerly Vorrutyer. This had better be good. He looked at the holos By had sent through before he called him back. _Hell’s fire!_ That was Humphrey Vormurtos! Any lingering drowsiness vanished as Miles jerked to instant alert. The last time he’d seen the lovely Lord Vormurtos had been at the dinner for the Vorbarr Sultana fire watch, just before Gregor’s wedding. He’d tried to insult him in front of Ekaterin and rued the decision. He’d been keeping himself very scarce ever since Miles had threatened him. Where had he been hiding all this time? Here, in Vandeville? _Unlikely_. Further afield? Miles felt cold fingers run up and down his spine. On Jackson’s Whole? _Much more likely._

Was he the supplier of Letty’s poison? No, probably just the courier. _I was only following orders, my lord._ The bleating from the morning came back unbidden. Vormurtos was just the sort to be led by the nose by Richars Vorrutyer. The cold chills turned to a prickle as his sensors came to full alert. He jabbed By’s code into the com. He didn’t mince his words when By’s face appeared.

“Vormurtos, By? What the hell is he doing here?”

By didn’t like it, either. “Fomenting sedition, at this stage, I would say. It’ll be open treason if they get themselves organised and funded. Vormurtos was one of Richars’ chief head-kickers, don’t forget. Who’s the other one? Apart from my nephew’s sperm donor, of course. From what I heard I’d never call him a father.”

“No one I recognise. Pym is getting Tuomonen to run a trace as we speak. I’m asking General Allegre to declare a security alert and investigate Vormurtos in Vorbarr Sultana. He’ll be tracing his contacts all the way between here and there. I might have to go have a word to Richars again, but that’s a shuttle trip I don’t really want to take if I can avoid it. If you haven’t heard from Devaux yet would I be able to talk to Jenna, please, By? She might have more pertinent information and tell me in a more succinct manner than we’re likely to get out of Sela.”

Jenna didn’t have much to add. She was good at physical descriptions, and even mentioned the furtive body language, and the man’s cruelty to the boy. It all added up to something smokey, but _what_? He was going to have to steal her husband from her for quite some time.

“I’m sorry, Jenna, but there’s going to be some urgent work here tonight. Lauri’s not going to be coming home anytime soon. Will you be able to manage? Byerly and Sela will look after you, I’m sure.”

Jenna smiled brightly at him. “Of course. Lauri’s had to pull all nighters before. I’ll work it out somehow. Tell Lauri not to worry about me. I’ll explain things to Riika. I’ll talk to him when he’s able. Goodnight, my lord.”

Jenna was like Ekaterin, he realised, not one to make a fuss about what couldn’t be helped. Duty was duty. “Good night, and thank you. I promise I’ll get him some leave when this is all over.”

“I’ll expect that when I see it, but thank you.” She signed off.

Miles passed on her message. Tuomonen had dropped everything to find the identity of the mystery man when the picture came through. It wasn’t anyone he was familiar with, so obviously not a frequent visitor to the city centre. Vormurtos he _had_ seen before. “He stays at the Imperial Club when he’s in town, my lord. We’ll be able to track him down there, if he didn’t head straight back to Vorbarr Sultana. I’m running the face recognition for Ivan Ivanovich now.”

Pym interrupted them. “I have a message from Armsman Devaux, sir. He’s sent through the vehicle plate number and the address co-ordinates for the mystery man.”

Tuomonen jumped up to take the data disc Pym held out. “Excellent! This will speed things up immensely.”

It was a tense wait while the computer churned the information. It seemed like hours but it was less than a minute before an ID flashed up. Miles felt his stomach drop.

“I should have guessed. Gervaise Vortaine. Get me Guy Allegre. This stops _now_.”


	9. The Imperial Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles Vorkosigan is on the warpath, but Lauri Tuomonen has a few butts to kick of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU, Half armour covers the head, torso and legs... Just in case the nitpickers don't approve.

It took time, organising the squads. There were going to be two simultaneous raids, to snatch Vortaine and Vormurtos before either one could tip off the other. Vortaine was the greater danger. They argued, but it was a one-sided struggle. Lauri conceded as Lord Vorkosigan swept any objections aside. _He_ was going after Vortaine. Lauri shuffled names around until both he and Vorkosigan were satisfied. The Lord Auditor was hard to please, especially when it came to Byerly Vorrutyer.

“It’s going to be more than awkward if his sister is complicit in the treason plot. We don’t know what sort of Vorrutyer she is, after all. Richars is one sort and Byerly and Count Dono are the other. I don’t want him anywhere near that house when we take it down and I don’t want him left on his own, either. If he thinks his sister is in danger who knows what he’ll do? He could even be in danger himself, if the plotters twig on to the fact he’s a spy.”

“Sela and the boy could be in danger, too. How about this, my lord? Lieutenant Paxton goes with you, with his squad. He’ll have a medic with him. Sergeant Tolya has had HQ duty. He’s dealt with herms from the Betan Embassy in Vorbarr Sultana. I’ll assign him to the house. You can send Vorrutyer to me with Harrison as escort. He won’t allow Vorrutyer to give him the slip. I’ll keep Corporal Schultz and then I’ll only need five or six more men myself to search the Imperial Club, if we can get inside without the alarm being given. I’ll use the reinforcements General Allegre sent me. They’re on their way in from the shuttleport now. You take the men you already know, my lord. There’s less chance of mistakes that way. I’ll get Vorrutyer to talk his way in as I think the less fuss we make about it the better. What do you say to 0400hrs? They’ll all be in bed, with any luck. We should have them in the bag before they even wake up.”

“It’s as good a plan as any. My father always says every plan is only good until first contact with the enemy. I think my grandfather agreed with him, or it might have been the other way around. Anyway, it’s vital we get both men. I’ll drop in on Byerly at 0315 and catch him napping, literally, then send him over to you. That should take thirty minutes, max. Twenty minutes of that time will be waiting for him to do his hair. We set up and go in at 0400. Keep me in touch. What transport do I have?”

“There’s a command centre flyer. That’s always fully equipped. Harrison can rendezvous with you outside the house in the squad cruiser, to bring Vorrutyer back here. Depending on what you find, I’ll send back-up in the cruiser if it’s needed.”

It was all decided. They separated to change and make their individual preparations. Lauri hadn’t worn his fatigues in anger for years, only on his annual training course. They made quite a change to dress greens. He settled the command helmet more firmly on his head and ran through the channels. Half armour might be a bit of overkill, but the awe factor shouldn’t be underestimated. He anticipated serious butt kicking with a grim satisfaction. Plot to kill the emperor on _his_ patch, would they? _Not in this lifetime, losers_.

A qualm struck him. He’d look very foolish, and it would be Kyril Island for the rest of his career _if_ he was lucky, if there was no plot and Vortaine and Vormurtos were completely innocent. Jenna would…No. He wasn’t going to go there. _Nothing_ would go wrong. There _was_ a plot afoot. He’d already uncovered enough with Vorkosigan’s help to justify bringing the Auditor in, and they hadn’t even touched the surface of the pretender conspiracy.

 _Right then_. Back to work. He squared his shoulders. He just had time to fire off a quick report to Major Karasavas. He’d have to be chewing his desk about now, if he wasn’t hammering on the General’s door demanding to be sent south.

Lord Vorkosigan hadn’t donned combat kit. He was equally impressive in his full regalia of chain and seal. He was as tense as a piano wire, and all flint-eyed business. He nodded brisk approval of Tuomonen. “Good luck, Captain. I have every confidence in you. We’ll rendezvous later on today for the interviews.”

Lauri snapped to attention, then held out his hand. “Good luck, my lord.” He saw Vorkosigan and his squad into the sleek command cruiser, parked in the under basement and launched as silently as a whisper from a hydraulic ramp into the rear courtyard. Harrison’s cruiser made a much more regulation exit into the square and moved off into the night. Lauri watched until the tail lights disappeared around the first corner.

 _All dressed up and nowhere to go._ He felt more than a little foolish as he settled back to wait. Time for a coffee and a chat to the men, especially the new recruits. Harrison was a new recruit, though, and he hadn’t felt the slightest need to give him a reassuring pep talk. He’d come to rely on Harrison. Time would tell if he’d been right. He turned back to his own squad, all fresh and quivering with excitement, shuttled down from the Capital at very short notice.

“Right, men, equipment check. Buddy up. We’re in for a wait.”

At 0350 he led the squad out into the square. The men fanned out to guard the roads and vantage points. Lauri crossed to Emperor Ezar’s statue and waited in the shadow cast by his looming bulk. The only sound was the soft play of water from the fountains and the only light was the amber glow of street lights, washing all colour from the normally vibrant square. It wasn’t long before one of the perimeter guards signalled and the cruiser idled into the square on low power, nothing to alarm anybody, and settled to a halt close by. Harrison was using his wits as the fountains and statue blocked the line of sight from the Imperial Club.

Byerly Vorrutyer looked a cross between bewildered and pissed off. Lauri held up a finger for silence before he could start to complain. He spoke in a low voice. “Thanks for coming. The plan’s quite simple. We walk in the front door, find a key to Vormurtos’s room and apprehend him. I’ll let you do the talking and just glower over your shoulder if I need to. There’s only the night manager on the front desk. The breakfast shift’s not due in for another thirty minutes. We should have the place searched by then.”

They headed off across the square but Vorrutyer didn’t look any too convinced. “If Dorca or Mad Yuri built this place there’s likely a rabbit warren of secret cellars. It’ll take more than thirty minutes to search, won’t it?”

Lauri held the heavy front door open to let Vorrutyer go first. That’s what _he_ thought. “After you. Have you ever _seen_ an ImpSec search?”

The night manager caught sight of Vorrutyer first. His mild surprise turned to sick horror as he saw who was behind him. His jaw dropped but he made no sudden moves as Vorrutyer started to speak. “I’m here to visit Humphrey Vormurtos. Keep your hands where I can see them. You wouldn’t want to accidentally press any buttons, would you now? What’s his room number?”

The manager gaped at them both, and then at the rest of the squad still filtering in. “Lord Vormurtos is in the Prince Xav suite, but he really can’t be disturbed.”

Lauri picked up on the menace in Vorrutyer’s voice. “Oh, I think he can. What floor?”

The manager flinched as Private Harrison rounded the desk and pointed his plasma rifle at him. “Third, sir, but—”

Lauri didn’t have to do a thing. Vorrutyer’s voice snapped out, cutting off the manager’s feeble protest. “But nothing. This visit is by Imperial order. Is there anything the good captain’s men should know about that might prove fatal if undisclosed? Fatal for _you_ , that is?”

He could almost hear the manager’s knees knock as he reached slowly and carefully for a code card. “Lord Vormurtos has two armsmen with him. They’re sleeping in the adjoining room.”

Lauri leaned forwards and twitched the card out of the man’s unresisting fingers. He flicked his gaze over the manager’s name tag. “You stay here with _Denis_ , Vorrutyer. See if he can tell you about the function rooms while you’re waiting. Harrison will keep you company.”

With his squad behind him Lauri hurried as silently as he could up the stairs to the Prince Xav suite on the first bedroom floor. From the fire plan outside the door it consisted of a sitting room, two bedrooms, one with an ensuite, and a separate bathroom. He tapped the smaller bedroom and pointed to his one-time desk corporal, Schultz, no doubt relishing this change of duty, and then to a second man. He tapped the main bedroom and pointed to himself and a third trooper. He drew his stunner and waited until the others did the same. The corporal had a tangle-net with him, too, which he extracted from a pouch ready for deployment. They were all set. There was no need for words. He ran the code key through the slot and whipped into the room as soon as the door slid back far enough. Two seconds later he was in the main bedroom facing a still-sleeping Vormurtos. Fortunately, the man was alone, although it wouldn’t have made any difference. Muffled thuds from the other room indicated more of a struggle, but the shouting was brief, silenced with the buzz of a stunner.

Vormurtos stirred, opened one eye and sat bolt upright at the sight of two stunners being pointed directly at him.

“Humphrey Vormurtos, in the name of Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, I’m placing you under arrest. You’ll be taken to another place for questioning. Get up and get dressed.”

“Like hell!” Vormurtos twisted for his side table. He was less than half way there before Lauri’s stunner beam hit him. He’d have to be carried out. Lauri sent the trooper for a float pallet and checked the room while he waited. It was a nerve disruptor in the drawer of the side table. It would be interesting to see what sort of a permit he had for that little beauty. Vormurtos wasn’t interested in stunner tag, obviously. He was lucky they wanted to question him.

Lauri bagged up the disruptor, minus its charge cartridge, data pads and communicators for further examination, entered all the data on his scene-of-crime record sheets and helped haul the considerable mass of Vormurtos on to the float pallet. He extricated a set of clothing and a pair of boots from the closet and sent them along with him to the cell. He could change when he woke up.

There was a buzz from Harrison. “Denis has been talking, sir. I think you should come.”

On the far side of the committee room next to the main desk there was a doorway leading to a flight of stairs. Vorrutyer followed him down, and down again to a second basement set up as a storeroom. They walked in awed silence past racks and racks of weapons, combat armour, stores of field rations and who knew what else.

At last he found his voice. “General Allegre is going to _love_ this. I’ll have to get a team down here to catalogue and trace it all.” He sent a preliminary vid of the scene through to Major Karasavas. _He’d_ no doubt be overjoyed, too. Once the search squads were organised and had started work they headed back to the upper level. There was a large conference room off to one side. The lectern at the far end had a sophisticated display computer. It would be worth tapping the memory on that little goldmine.

Vorrutyer strolled in after him, standing back while he took a vid of the scene. Lauri hooked up his data miner and let it do its work while Vorrutyer looked around, studying the ancient travel posters studded around the walls. He paused in front of one of them. It was slightly askew.

“Captain Tuomonen, would you care to look at this? Something's not right here.”

Alarm flared. Everything had been too easy. “Don’t touch anything!” He pulled out his chemical sniffer and miniature camera and carefully examined the framed picture. Its hanging wire was twisted, but there were no explosives or booby traps of any kind. The camera did pick up an image, though. “There’s something on the back.” He checked some more, but it was clear. “I’ll just turn it round again.”

 _What the actual hell?_ They both stared in shocked silence, Vorrutyer echoed his thoughts. “What the hell?” He obviously couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Or should I say _who_ the hell is the Emperor in the South when he’s at home?”

The picture, titled as Vorrutyer said, _The Emperor in the South,_ in flourishing archaic script from the time of Dorca or before portrayed a man dressed in a style of formal, High Vor uniform. The sigil was unfamiliar, but without doubt it could have been a picture of Gervaise Vortaine to the life. He had to step back to take in all the details. “Never mind the stash downstairs. General Allegre is going to _absolutely_ love this! We’d better check the rest of them.”

There were only a couple of different styles of posters, alternating around the room. The second one was a map of the South Continent, divided into six roughly equal new Districts. “The damn fools have been stupid enough to name them.”

Lauri couldn’t believe the hubris, or the total stupidity. He struggled to keep the disgust out of his voice. “Vortaine, Vormurtos, Vortorren, if you please, Vortrifrani, Vorwyn and of course Vordarian wouldn’t want to miss out.” His brain ticked over. “Vorrutyer doesn’t get a mention.”

Vorrutyer stepped closer to get a good look for himself. “Thank goodness for small mercies, but Richars would just be a kingmaker.” He examined the boundaries more closely. “Yes, look at this. Vandeville is in Vortaine’s District. We know who the Emperor in the South was going to be. The only thing is, I wonder where Vortienne and Vormercier fit into the scheme of things? We need to speak to the ladies on the committee, don’t we?”

“Oh, yes. I’m going to need more men. Voralys District is closest. I’ll scramble some from there. I don’t know the man in charge. Do you?”

Vorrutyer nodded. “It’s pretty quiet there these days. Lieutenant Vormayer is a good man to speak to. He’ll help you out. He doesn’t mind a spot of action.”

Lauri tapped his wristcom. “Good, just what I need. I’d better get on to him, then.”

They spent another twenty minutes or so, looking for more hidden chambers, but he had more than enough to be going on with. It was time to check back on the others. Lauri ran back up the stairs to the reception desk. Harrison stood just inside the committee room. Denis at the desk could see him, but not anyone entering the front door. Vorrutyer indicated the manager. “What’s he still there for?”

Lauri pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair before he answered. “We don’t want visitors scared away by one of _my_ men behind the desk, do we? From the outside, it all looks normal.”

 _Speak of the devil._ The front door opened and Madame Vortorren sailed in. She was the president of the social committee, Lauri knew. She was surprised to see the night manager.

“Denis, what are you doing here still? Has Yakov called in sick? I have a breakfast meeting in twenty—” She broke off as she realised he wasn’t alone. “Oh, good heavens! Vorrutyer! What are you doing here so early?”

Lauri stepped forward and laid his helmet on the reception counter. “He’s with me, Madame Vortorren. In the name of the Emperor I’d like you to answer some questions.”

She paled as he approached her. “ImpSec? By what right—”

“You heard by what right, Madame. If you please?” He reached out to take her by the arm. There was a sudden shout behind him. It was Vorrutyer, and he wasn’t kidding around.

“Tuomonen! Look out!”

Instinct took over. He leapt back, hands raised in defence as she slashed up at him with a Vorfemme knife that appeared from nowhere. He felt a stinging pain in his arm as a stunner bolt buzzed past his ear to take her down, A split second later Harrison’s rifle cracked. He would have hit her between the eyes if she hadn’t already crumpled. The bolt sizzled across the foyer, just missing another trooper standing half way down the stairs to hit the far wall. The elegant decor dissolved into a charred and smoking mess.

Tuomonen clamped his left hand to his right forearm and stared down at his would-be assassin. “Thank goodness you missed, Harrison. We need to question this woman.” He turned to look at Vorrutyer, all the while trying to staunch the blood welling through his fingers and trickling down his arm. “And thank you, Vorrutyer. She’d have had my throat.”

Lauri staggered, suddenly unsteady on his feet. He must have caught some backwash from the stunner. Vorrutyer ran to his side as Harrison tossed them a field dressing from his combat belt, It was a clean cut, and not too deep, just bleeding like a bitch. Lauri could still wriggle his fingers. He stood impatiently while By turned back his jacket and shirt sleeve and applied the dressing as tightly as he could.

Vorrutyer looked around for the nearest chair and led him towards it. “You should get this seen to,”

Lauri didn’t have time for medics. It wasn’t like he needed a cryochamber or anything. He spotted the man on the stairs. “Hannan! Get her out of here and have someone clean up this blood. We need to have the place looking as normal as possible. Pass the word about the rest of these committee women, too. Approach with caution.”

He poked the Vorfemme knife with the toe of his boot. Such a little thing to nearly end his life. “I always thought these were more symbolic than anything else. My mistake.” 


	10. Emperor Gervaise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The raid doesn't quite go the way Miles hoped.

Miles Vorkosigan watched the tail lights of the cruiser disappear. _Good._ By was safely out of it. It would be a complete conflict of interest to have Byerly Vorrutyer along with them. He’d made the right decision, much as By didn’t like it, especially if things turned nasty. Devaux hadn’t gone with Byerly. He trusted ImpSec to look after him, by the looks. He had his head down, talking to Pym as they checked out the arms locker in the command centre vehicle. He was obviously coming with them. Miles had no objections. Anyone who was aware enough to spot them coming had to be good.

Devaux checked that Sela and Sergeant Tolya had locked themselves down again before he buckled himself into a spare seat in the flier. He appeared to have hit things off straight away with Pym. It wasn’t something Miles had seen happen too often. Pym melded seamlessly with Vorbarra armsmen when the need arose, but he didn’t usually trust on first sight. It certainly looked like he was prepared to team with Ivan’s man as well, and vice versa. Miles tried to catch his eye, but Pym was too busy buckling in and checking his kit to notice.

There was no talking as the flyer rose into the night. It was only a three minute journey at combat speed. Lieutenant Paxton checked his stunner. The medic, Petrov, sat back with his arms folded, looking at nothing. Miles had to stop his foot tapping on the floor. Seconds later he had to stop it tapping again.

“My lord!” The pilot came through the intercom. “We’ve crossed a beacon. I think we’ve set off an alarm.”

“ _Damn_! Gun it.” Miles should have thought of that. Vortaine had had years to get well prepared for a raid. As long as he had no anti-invader ordnance they should still be able to take him. They were all on edge as the flier dropped like a stone with the retros only firing at the last second. Adrenalin kicked in. Miles hadn’t been on a raid like this in a long time, but he hadn’t forgotten the rush. The door opened and they fanned out, leaping the last metre to hit the ground running. Perimeter lights flared on, but they’d dropped right next to the main doors, inside the brilliant glow from the boundary. An old fashioned watch tower loomed over them. It was situated on the corner of a stone bulding with wings running off in two directions. Paxton’s stunner sounded above the noise of a wailing alarm. Pym and Devaux disappeared off to the left down a corridor to an accommodation block as soon as Paxton’s squad cleared the entrance. There was very little resistance, until there was a loud shout from Paxton’s point man.

“Stand there. Don’t move!” There was the sound of a stunner, and then the sound of the trooper swearing. “There’s a blast door here. He’s got away, and a boy with him.”

Miles sprinted over to join him. “Who got away? Where?”

The trooper looked chagrined. “I’m sorry sir. It was a man in his mid forties, I’d say. He had a boy by the throat. The blast door came down just as I fired. He may have caught the splash, but I’m not sure.”

Miles flicked on his data recorder and found the picture Byerly had sent through. “Was this him?”

The trooper nodded. Yes, sir. I’m certain of it. They were both wearing pyjamas. They must have been sleeping on this level. Another five seconds and I would have had him.”

Paxton had found and cleared the two bedrooms next to the blast door. “The beds are still warm, sir. There’s no sign of Madame Vortaine, or any other family.”

Pym and Devaux weren’t long returning. Pym had a strange look on his face. “Twelve men, sir. You might want to take a look at the three who were on duty.”

Miles snapped out orders. “Paxton, see if you can get that door open. Send your men to find the household staff. I want a full sweep. We need to find Madame Vortaine.”

There were three men in the entrance hall, They were still breathing, merely stunned, but Miles did a double take as he got his first good look at them. “That’s livery they’re wearing!” 

It wasn’t just livery. It was _black and silver_ livery, only distinguishable from the famous Vorbarra uniform by the broad silver stripe, a good ten centimetres wide, down the side of the pants and circling the tunic sleeves. The sigil on the collar was a single rose. His breath caught. “I’ve seen this before, in the museum at Vorhartung. _Vlad’s_ armsmen wore livery like this.”

Pym looked grim. “It’s the Vorlightly Rose, my lord, but this is on its own. It doesn’t have the olive wreath. Emperor Vlad was the one to incorporate the rose into his sigil, when he married. My wife explained this all to me, when we were courting. It was Dorca who took the stripes off his men’s livery, when they were too good a target for Cetagandans.”

If matters hadn’t been quite so serious, Miles would have inquired into Pym’s courtship a little more deeply, but this was gravely disturbing. What the hell was going on here in Vandeville? He singled out one of the stunned men. “This one’s got two stripes on his sleeves. We’ll need to talk to _him_. Where’s that medic? Get him woken up as soon as possible. In the meantime, I think we need to get Byerly Vorrutyer back here. I’ll ask Tuomonen to send him over.”

It took a few minutes to raise Tuomonen. He looked a little _off_ when he finally did answer his com. Something wasn’t right. Had he done the wrong thing leaving Tuomonen to head the other raid? Surely not.

“Report, Tuomonen. What’s wrong? You’ve got Vormurtos, haven’t you?”

“Oh, yes, my lord, we’ve got him. Everything’s fine now. You’re not going to believe the vids. I’m just finishing up the report now. I had a little disagreement with Madame Vortorren. If it hadn’t been for Byerly Vorrutyer she might have slit my throat. She was pretty quick with that Vorfemme knife of hers. As it was she managed to get my arm before Vorrutyer dropped her. I thought those knives were symbolic.”

“How bad is it? Do you need me to send Paxton to your location?”

“Not necessary, my lord. There’s no tendon damage. I’ll get some tissue glue out of the first aid kit once I stop for breath.”

“Make sure you do. We need you. I also need Vorrutyer over here. Things have gone a little awry and we may have a hostage situation. I’m hoping Byerly can talk to his sister when we find her. Send him over as soon as you can, please. Tell him there are no casualties. Make sure he understands that.”

“I will, my lord. I’ll be sending the preliminary report through to you now. Tuomonen out.”

There was nothing for him to do with the search teams combing through the house and Paxton working on the blast door. Miles retreated to the command centre which had moved to the parking area behind a row of screening trees. They weren’t about to allow Vortaine a clear line of sight from his watch tower. Pym and Devaux brought the very groggy prisoner over with them. He was barely able to talk, and his legs weren’t working, but all they needed was his mouth, after all. Miles found the fast-penta and slapped on a test patch. There were no niceties about asking permission when there was no reaction to the test. The spray hissed quietly. The others faded into the background, although Pym kept his stunner in his hand, just in case. Miles sat back and turned on the recorders.

“Please tell me your name and occupation.”

The man tried to sit up straight and failed. “I’m Basil Bouridis. My friends call me BB. I’m head of Security for the Emperor.”

Miles confined his astonishment as best he could, but he could feel his eyes almost bulge from his head. There were a few intakes of breath behind him but no other reactions. “I’m sorry, which emperor would that be?”

“Emperor Gervaise, the emperor in the south. Haven’t you heard of him?”

“I’ll ask the questions. Are you talking about Gervaise Vortaine?”

Bouridis smiled stupidly. “How many Gervaises do you know? Yes, Gervaise Vortaine. His mother is in direct line of descent from Empress Matilda. She should rightly be empress herself, you know, but we don’t have female—”

“Stop!” Empress Matilda? Who the hell was that? “Do you know whom Empress Matilda was married to?”

He snorted. “Where did you go to school? Everybody knows Empress Matilda. She married Vlad Vorbarra.”

Things started to drop into place. “So she was Lady Matilda _Vorlightly_ before she married?”

“S’right. Like the rose, see?” Bouridis pointed to his high collar. “S’a Vorlightly rose, this is. True Vorbarra blood now though. None of these bastard offspring or second cousins.”

 _Two hundred years._ No, it was more like two hundred and fifty years ago that Vlad le Savante had married Lady Vorlightly. Vortaine traced his bloodline back that far? There had been rumbles when Ezar took the throne that Vortaines had a claim, but Miles didn’t know enough about it. It was the same female descent that Vordarian had claimed, was all he knew. Vordarian had been a cousin on his mother’s side to the previous Count Vortaine. A pain started to throb behind Miles’s temples. He had a horrible feeling his headache was going to get a lot worse before it got better.

“Are you an armsman, Bouridis?”

“No, I’m the nurserymaid. Of _course_ I’m an armsman. I’m the Armsman Commander. See?” Bouridis managed to move his arm. “Two stripes. Senior man.”

“How did you know we were coming?”

He sounded vaguely scornful. “You flew through the outer marker, is how. There’s no light fliers allowed one click out. Sets off the alarm. Oikonomu was asleep at his post, the lazy bastard, and was slow to sound the house alarm. I didn’t have time to get to the Emperor like I should have.”

“We saw one child. Are there any others?”

“Only girls. They’re locked down nice and tight, with their mother.”

“So, they’re here then, on the premises?”

“Where else would they be? Yes, they’re here.”

Miles heard the sound of a light flier coming in to land. That would be Byerly Vorrutyer. Bouridis would keep. They already had enough to hang Vortaine. They needed to find Juliette and her daughters as a second priority. Vortaine himself was still the first.

“This interview is terminated.” Miles pressed the antagonist into Bouridis’s forearm. “Take him away.”

One of the techs had been waiting for the chance to speak to him. “Captain Tuomonen’s preliminary report has come through, my lord.”

“Put it up, then. Let’s see what’s been going on in the city centre.”

They were all staring open-mouthed at Tuomonen’s report when Byerly Vorrutyer was passed through security and came to join them.

Miles indicated a seat at the conference table. “Is this for real, Vorrutyer? Not some dreamer’s role-playing group?”

Byerly nodded to Devaux and Pym. “Oh, it’s for real. More like somebody’s nightmare, though, yours. Have you seen the ordnance stores?” He obviously had more pressing worries. “What’s happened here? You didn’t get them? How did they got wind of you coming?”

Miles wasn’t happy about that. “We got all the house staff. A preliminary interview with the Armsman Commander indicates there’s a no-fly zone a kilometre out. Penetrating the border automatically triggered an alarm.” He started thinking aloud. “The family must be in a panic room somewhere. It’s very well concealed, wherever it is. We’ve got search parties in there now. Ground scanners are being jammed, though. It’s hands-on work.”

By Vorrutyer gaped at him. “Did you just say Armsman Commander? Vortaine surely hasn’t sworn in armsmen? He’s not a count! He’s violated Vorloupulos’ Law and about twenty others I can think of off the top of my head.”

He didn’t want the word spreading, and By was liable to do that. He shrugged. “Let’s just call them trusted family retainers, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck—and the ones not still in bed were wearing a mighty fancy livery when we got here. They’ll be coming round from the stun soon. We only revived the one.”

There wasn’t time for any more chatter. Pym turned away from the little group to listen to his ear bud. “They’ve found something, my lord.”

Lieutenant Paxton waited for them. “Two teams have reported with life form traces, my Lord Auditor. There’s someone at the top of the tower.” He paused to listen to his earbud. “No, my lord, make that two traces, very close together there, and another two or possibly three, on a basement level. One of those is very small. It may be an animal. We haven’t found an entry point for that one yet. The tower entry is booby-trapped and that’s being dealt with.”

Miles thought rapidly. They weren’t all together, then. His priority had to be Vortaine, and he’d be the one in the tower. His priority was obviously different to Byerly’s.

Byerly looked agitated. “It may be a very small child in the basement. They must be petrified in there. Why aren’t they coming out? Surely they know they can’t get away?”

Miles shrugged. They were safe where they were. They’d come out once they got hungry enough. “We can afford to wait a while. It doesn’t do to rush these things and it’s much better to persuade them out, especially since there are children involved. I want Vortaine to talk to me. I’ve got someone trying all the hailing frequencies. He can’t talk to anyone else, as he’ll very soon realise. Everything outgoing is jammed. We’ve even checked for land lines. Some of the old places out here still have them, if you can believe it. He’s trapped like a fly in a bottle. We’d better check out the tower contact. That’s the one most likely to be able to do us harm.”

Devaux and Pym did a rapid recce of their surroundings, talking in an undertone as they checked possible lines of sight and entry points. Devaux was interested in the trees. He gesticulated twice to a huge old oak. Pym appeared to agree with the point he was making.

After about ten minutes, Miles’s patience wore out. It was time for plan B. Trying to raise Vortaine on a com link just wasn’t working. “Paxton, get me a loud hailer and a local force shield.”

Paxton dashed away and returned from the command flier with two techs, a portable speaker system and the force shield. It took less than a minute for the techs to have the speakers ready to go out in the courtyard in full sight of the tower.

Miles looked around. Byerly made an obvious target where he was, out of the range of the projected force screen. “You might want to stand behind the speakers, By. This is going to be loud.” He flicked a switch and started to talk. His voice boomed out. “Gervaise Vortaine, this is Lord Auditor Vorkosigan. By order of His Imperial Majesty Gregor Vorbarra I order you to surrender immediately. Show yourself, Vortaine. Don’t make this any harder for your family than it is already.” He waited for a few moments and then repeated his words. He was ready for a third try when Pym called out to him.

“There’s movement, m’lord, top of the tower, left hand side.”

Miles stood in plain view. Byerly Vorrutyer came to stand at his shoulder with Devaux shadowing him while Pym covered Miles himself. He heard Byerly swear when Vortaine appeared. “What the fucking hell?”

The man was holding someone in front of him as a shield. He heard Devaux hiss beside him.“It’s the child. It’s Vortaine’s son.”

Cold fury gripped Miles as Vortaine grasped his son in a tight hold across his chest and held a knife so close to the boy’s throat that it drew beads of blood. In a dead white face the only thing that moved was the child’s terrified, wide-staring eyes.

Vortaine yelled out in a voice hoarse with rage. “Vorkosigan! Call off ImpSec or this boy dies.”

Miles heard Byerly growl before he tried to run forwards only to have Devaux hold him back. The armsman attempted to talk him down. “That’s a dead man right there, sir. Keep your cool.”

The struggle was uneven. Devaux wouldn’t let Byerly go anywhere, despite his protests. By tried to throw off his arm without success. “Keep my cool? Keep my cool? That’s my nephew that bastard’s got a hold of.”

Pym swore under his breath. Paxton hastily drew his stunner.

“Put that down, Paxton. No firing.” Harrison had brought his plasma rifle to the aim as well. “You, too, Harrison. Stand down.”

Vortaine wrenched the boy around and swung him sideways until his legs dangled over the low balustrade. “Didn’t you hear me? Get rid of ImpSec. Now!”

Byerly looked at him in impotent fury. “Do something!”

Vortaine had crossed a line. He wasn’t going to get away with this. All right, if that’s what Vortaine wanted him to do, he’d play along. “Lieutenant, withdraw your squad. All of them. Muster behind the command centre.” He waited while Paxton gaped at him. “Do it now, please.”

Paxton snapped back to action mode and called the techs to follow him. In the swirl of movement Miles turned away from Vortaine to look at Pym. “You and Devaux know what to do.” He only mouthed the next command. Pym would understand. “Take him out.”

Vortaine pressed the knife closer still to the boy’s throat. “Swear that they’re all gone. Swear on your name’s word.”

Miles stared up at the man. _His name’s word,_ to this traitor? He clenched his hands into fists behind his back. Almost choking, he managed to spit it out. “I swear on my name as Vorkosigan that all Imperial troops have withdrawn. They won’t be engaging again until I tell them to.”

Vortaine still wasn’t happy. ”Who’s that with you? He’d better not be ImpSec!”

This might be a way to distract him, as long as Byerly played along. “Don’t you recognise him, Vortaine? He must be familiar. This is your brother-in-law. It’s Byerly Vorrutyer. Will you let him talk to the boy?” Pym and Devaux must be nearly in place by now.

Byerly called out as well. “Where’s Juliette, Vortaine? Where’s my sister?”

Vortaine spat over the parapet. “Wouldn’t you like to know? What a useless bargain _that_ was. Only the one boy, and him a weakling. There’s plenty more where she came from.”

Miles whispered across to Byerly. “Be ready, Vorrutyer. You’re only going to get the one chance.”

Vortaine gesticulated wildly with the knife. “You can fuck off too—”

As soon as the knife moved away from the boy’s neck Miles smashed down his fist on to the force field control. On the signal a plasma arc bolt cracked out from the trees above their heads. The bolt took Vortaine exactly where his neck met his shoulder. He fell backwards, his face a charred mess. The knife dropped from his suddenly slack hand to clatter down on to the gravel. Byerly sprinted forward as the boy screamed in terror, but he’d never make it in time. Broken legs could be mended, as Miles well knew. A slashed throat would have been a lot harder to deal with. It was the devil’s own decision to make, but that’s what Gregor paid him for. He waited for the thump of little boy hitting gravel, but by some miracle the lad had managed to slow his fall. Heart in mouth, Miles watched as Byerly dived forwards. He grabbed and rolled. The boy crashed into his chest. Seconds later he stopped screaming long enough to vomit.

“Oh, well done! Well done, By.” Miles sprinted forward, only to be overtaken by Pym racing in from fifty metres further back.

They got him back to the medic somehow. Byerly wouldn’t let go of the boy and Miles heartily approved. It was what the lad needed right now. He stopped crying at last. His breathing evened out. He said something, but not even By could hear it.

“What was that? Did you tell me your name?”

Miles strained to hear. “Dono. I’m Dono Vortaine.”

 _Dono_. What would that do to Byerly? He’d never been prouder of his ersatz cousin as Byerly didn’t miss a beat.

“Well, young Dono, let’s say we get you warm and cleaned up and find you some breakfast. What do you think about that?”

Not much, apparently. Dono sobbed. “I want my Mama.”

By stroked his hair. “I’m not surprised. We’re trying to find her now. Do you know where she is?”

Young Dono nodded. “She’s in the hole. She’s always in the hole, until 1000 hours.”


	11. Headaches all round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a whole lot of work to be done, back at ImpSec VV.

_If_ anything was needed to bring home the gravity of the plot they had uncovered, the sight of General Guy Allegre in combat fatigues added the final touch. Lauri Tuomonen had never seen the general in anything other than dress greens or the gaudy red and blue of parade dress. Grim and intimidating, he stalked around the Imperial Club with Lord Auditor Vorkosigan, Lauri half a pace behind. His expression never changed. In the Prince Xav suite he looked at the bedroom Humphrey Vormurtos had used in uncompromising silence.

Vortaine was dead. The Lord Auditor hadn’t been particularly forthcoming about the circumstances. All Lauri knew was that Madame Vortaine and her children were most likely victims not co-conspirators and they had been released temporarily to Byerly Vorrutyer, under ImpSec escort. He was unlikely to see Harrison or Tolya again soon. Humphrey Vormutos was their chief suspect and main witness now.

General Allegre spoke at last. “The emperor has an interview later this afternoon with Count Vormurtos. Colonel Vortala will be representing ImpSec. They’ll be inquiring into the source of the nerve disruptor found here. The count will have some serious explaining to do if he issued it to his son, and Lord Vormurtos will have some even more serious explaining to do if he didn’t. Has the trace on the serial number come through yet?”

Lauri had checked not long before. “It’s not on any Imperial Service ordnance register. Preliminary results indicate it’s Nuovo Brasilian. That being the case it will take some further time to investigate fully.”

The General didn’t relish the extra complication. “As legal as a three mark note, then. I can almost guarantee it’s stolen property, fenced through Jackson’s Whole. I foresee our interview with Vormurtos taking quite some time, my Lord Auditor.”

“I’ll still be interviewing come Winterfair,” Lord Vorkosigan said. “I may as well book this suite for the duration, once we find someone competent to run the place. I don’t fancy months in your hospitality suite, Tuomonen. You don’t happen to know anyone qualified in hotel management, do you? We have a few vacancies here at the moment.”

Lauri couldn’t help it. He broke into a broad smile. “As it happens, sir, I do, but the lady is on maternity leave at the moment.”

“Well, tell her to cancel it. She can bring the baby—wait a minute, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Lord Vorkosigan looked at him in dawning comprehension. “ _Jenna_?”

“Yes, my lord. My wife managed the Serifosa _Interstellar_. She had to resign to follow me here.”

General Allegre regarded his subordinate with something approaching approval. “Would she be interested in a temporary appointment? We need this facility up and running with all the extra personnel that are going to be arriving. I don’t need or want the headache of running a full security check on a bunch of managerial applicants as well as all the other interviews. Someone we can trust implicitly will be ideal.”

“I don’t know, sir. Jukka is only three months old. She might want more time with him.”

Lord Vorkosigan shifted into bulldozer mode before his eyes. “We’ll convert that ridiculous committee room. It’s got plumbing and it’s right next door to the manager’s office. It’ll make an ideal crèche. A nursery maid or two won’t cost much. Some of the incoming specialists may need the facility, anyway. We can run a school shuttle, too, with a security escort. I can’t see any major objections, can you?”

 _Er, right._ Lauri shuddered to think. “I’m not the one you need to be speaking to, sir. I don’t want to influence Jenna in any way and she wouldn’t thank me for trying. It would have to be her decision. I can tell you she’d be able to do the job standing on her head. The _Interstellar_ was _the_ luxury hotel in Serifosa. It had a hundred rooms.”

Vorkosigan wasn’t finished. “I have an ideal candidate I can second from the Administration centre to do the book keeping and staff wages payments. No doubt she’ll turn up all sorts of irregularities. I want the place put on a solid footing before it opens to the public again. What do you say we call it _The Galactic Club_? Interstellar tourists our speciality.”

That would be the most exquisite form of revenge on the conspirators. “You’re thinking of Lindy Leclerq? My wife could work with her quite happily, I should think.” Lauri wasn’t going to promise, though. “That’s _if_ she takes the job. I think the suggestion would be better coming from you, my lord.”

General Allegre had more pressing matters to attend to. “You two sort it out between you. I’ve seen enough here. I’ll want to have the full analysis of the function room data before we speak to Vormurtos. Let’s get back to ImpSec.” He was half way towards the door before he remembered his etiquette and stepped back. “If it pleases you, my Lord Auditor. After you.”

Vorkosigan ushered him out. “Put the protocols in your pocket, General. We’re all here to get this case solved. I’ll start on the list of questions for Vormurtos after I’ve spoken to Jenna Tuomonen.”

Lauri’s wife was hard to track down. No, make that impossible. She didn’t even answer his private code. She must have everything turned off. It could just be because she’d got Jukka to sleep and didn’t want him disturbed, or there was a fair possibility she was pissed off, with him in particular and with the world in general. He wasn’t altogether worried as she wouldn’t be expecting a call from him just after lunch time. He left a message for her to contact him.

“I can’t waste any more time.” The Auditor made a note to try later and started in on his to do list, the questions for Vormurtos. It was over an hour before they were all ready to go. Lauri was good at reading body language. It was his stock in trade, but both the General and the Lord Auditor were past masters at _suppressing_ body language. The pair of them looked like they didn’t have a care in the world when Humphrey Vormurtos was brought into the interview room from the custody area. Lauri turned on the official data recorder and retired to stand beside the door.

Vormurtos’s puffy face was grey with fatigue and stress, but his eyes…Lauri had to force himself not to recoil at the look in his eyes. Was the man mad? He half expected him to foam at the mouth at any second. Instead his lips curled into a snarl of silent rage as the custody guards unshackled his wrists only to re-fasten them to the discreet rings welded behind the table legs. They waited, holding his arms as he tried to swivel away from the test patch. He bucked and twisted to no avail. The fast-penta hypospray hissed into his bared arm. Vormurtos screamed with impotent rage until the drug kicked in. As soon as he slumped into his chair. Lauri nodded to the guards. “Dismissed. Wait outside, please. I’ll buzz when we need you again.”

The guards, acutely aware of the head of ImpSec watching them, came smartly to attention and marched out. The three of them were left with a weeping wreck of a man. He was going to be one of _those_. Lauri slipped into a relaxed parade rest beside the door, waiting for General Allegre to do the talking. The General’s voice was cool and neutral when he started asking questions.

“Please tell me your name.”

Lord Vorkosigan sat silent and watchful. Lauri only noticed him stiffen the once, when General Allegre broached the subject of the nerve disruptor.

Vormurtos snarled. “How do I know where Richars bought it? He told me I might need it. He was right, but the bastards waited until I was asleep.”

There was no change in the General’s tone of voice. “Are you talking about Richars Vorrutyer?”

“Yes.”

“What is your relationship with Richars Vorrutyer?”

Vormurtos wept again. General Allegre handed him a face wipe. He had to bend close to the table with his hands hampered as they were, but he was obliged to answer the question in the end. “We don’t have a relationship now. He’s in _jail_. I’ll never see him _again_.” His voice rose to a frenzy. “He’s in jail and that…that _obscene_ atrocity is in his place! Married to that slag of a prole who’s no better than she ought to be! I was going to get it when the fuss died down, when it wasn’t expecting it. I’ll get her, too, _and_ that dog Vorpatril for spoiling Richars’s plan. He would love me again, when I avenged him.”

Lord Vorkosigan caught Lauri’s gaze. The lines running from his nose to his mouth deepened. _Count Vorrutyer! Count Voralys and the Countess!_ How many more of Richars’s friends felt the same way? Behind Vormurtos’s back he nodded to the Lord Auditor. He’d issue the alert as soon as they’d finished here. They _weren’t_ finished, though. General Allegre probed the relationship with Vortaine.

“I had a message for him, from Richars. I’m allowed one letter a month from him and I come here quite often. I have a cousin I visit so Richars sends messages that way. He wanted Gervaise to cut the connection so that there would be no disgrace on his reputation.” A sly smile crossed his features. “I know what he meant, of course. _Cut the connection_. _Ha!_ Cut the bitch’s throat is what he meant. Byerly Vorrutyer’s another dead man, to double-cross his cousin. That would teach him, when he found out what had happened to his own sister. _I’d_ have told him, and taken pleasure in it.”

“I see.” General Allegre didn’t flinch. Lauri could see the strain in Lord Vorkosigan’s eyes now, although he kept himself still and his mouth shut. “And what response did Gervaise Vortaine give you?”

“He wanted to wait. She could still be a bargaining chip. She’s still a cousin to that…that _thing_.”

“Let’s move on. This cousin of yours. What is his name?”

“Jack. He’s my cousin Jack.”

“So he’ll be the Count in the new Vormurtos District?”

Lauri held his breath. Would Vormurtos fall for it? He needn’t have worried. Their prisoner nodded vigorously. “That’s right, and I’ll be Count in the old one. We’ll have it all stitched up, when we get rid of the Pretender.”

“Pretender? I don’t understand. Who is that?”

“Gregor Vorbarra. _Vorbarra_? Bastard son of another whore is what he is.”

That staggered even the imperturbable General. He drew in a sharp breath. “You’ll need to clarify that for me. Are you saying Gregor Vorbarra is not Crown Prince Serg’s true son?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why wasn’t he called Ezar? Answer me that if you can. We all know where the true blood is, and that’s Gervaise Vortaine through his mother and her mother and all the mothers before that, to Vlad le Savante and Matilda Vorlightly.”

Vormurtos slumped in his chair. His eyes rolled back into his head. Only the shackles on his wrists saved him from tumbling to the floor. Lord Vorkosigan reached over to feel his pulse. “He’s just fainted, I think.”

“We have enough for the moment. Please call your men back in, Captain. He can go back to his cell for now. You’d better get a medic to him, I suppose.”

They waited until Vormurtos had been carted off and the door shut behind him. Lord Vorkosigan practically exploded. “Tuomonen! Get me Colonel Vortala. Count Vormurtos can’t be allowed anywhere near the emperor.”

General Allegre was way ahead of him. He was already punching the private code for Vortala into his wrist com. The minute the link went through he snapped out orders.

“Security alert. Immediate lockdown. Detain Count Vormurtos for questioning on my authority. Just do it, Vortala.”

The colonel hadn’t complained or queried anything. There was no need for the General to insist. They could all hear an alarm blaring before he’d finished speaking.

Lauri darted to the main com desk in the room. There were still alerts to issue, for Count and Countess Vorrutyer, and Count Voralys. This was turning into a nightmare faster than a frigate jumped a wormhole!

Lauri had a stretcher bed set up in his office. He might be able to grab a couple of hours’ sleep somewhere along the line, but that was probably being optimistic. He’d had a half hour off to sit down when Lord Vorkosigan insisted he had his wound seen to by a proper doctor after he’d winced once too often, but that was likely the only rest he was going to get. Jenna still wasn’t answering the com but he didn’t have time to worry about that. He was too busy sending out teams to round up Jack Vormurtos and all his known associates. It had only taken him thirty seconds to identify him as the father of Riika’s classmate, Elize Vormurtos. He widened the net once he realized that little link. He’d have all the Vorwyns in as well. Marcel Vorwyn’s chance remark had started this whole affair, after all. Perhaps he’d better double his fast-penta order. They had all the ImpSec cells and all the Municipal Guard cells filled now, _plus_ the remand centre at the Imperial prison complex. He’d quadrupled the number of custody sergeants and still needed more.

Lord Vorkosigan stuck his head into Lauri’s office. It was twenty-four hundred hours already. “Go to bed. I’m getting a few hours myself. That’s an _order_ , Captain. You didn’t have any sleep last night and you can’t run on stims for longer than twenty six hours straight. Yes, I _did_ see you popping that little blue wonder before I left this morning.” He produced a bottle from his pocket. “Here’s another little something for you, a sleep timer. It’s only a two hour one. My wife very kindly sent them along with my armsman.”

He stood there, not exactly towering over him, more like at eye level, but intimidating all the same. “We’re both wasting time. I’m not leaving until you take it. By rights you should be on sick leave, you know. I saw your medical report. The Doc had to spot weld a couple of nerves.”

“Oh, all right then.” Lauri nearly growled at the Auditor. That would never do. “What’s happening with General Allegre?”

“He’ll be staying in Vandeville until tomorrow afternoon. He’s gone to bed already. He did say he’s going to send Major Karasavas back down in his place so you’ll still have plenty of back up. I’ll be here for a while, too, of course, until we’ve turned over all the rocks. I’ll need that suite at the Imperial Club. I’m hoping we’ve got the mastermind already, but at the rate we’re turning up villains I doubt it.” He paused. “You still haven’t taken the sleep timer. I can tuck you in, if you like.”

Lauri swore under his breath, pulled off his boots and popped the pill. He turned off his com set and stretched out on the temporary bed. Honestly, he’d be better off on the floor. It was hideously uncomfortable and he had no-one to cuddle, either.

“Good night. Sleep tight.”

“Don’t let ImpSec bite.” It was an oldie but a goodie. Lauri bared his teeth in a half-smile, half-snarl. ImpSec was going to be doing a lot more than biting in the very near future.

It seemed like he hadn’t closed his eyes before someone was shaking him awake. It was Pym.

“Wake up, sir. Lord Vorkosigan has had a call from Byerly Vorrutyer. He’s worked out who the mastermind is.”

Lauri rolled out of bed to haul on his boots. His arm throbbed like a bitch and the rest of him didn’t feel much better. It was 0130, so he’d had about three hours’ sleep. Pym had coffee waiting for him. It was obvious why Lord Vorkosigan depended on him so much. The man was an utter treasure.

“Thanks, Pym. So who is it? Pierre Vorwyn or Jack Vormurtos?”

“Neither, sir. It isn’t a mastermind at all. It’s a mistressmind, if you can call her that.”

Lauri stared at him. _Of course._ “Agatha Vortorren! I underestimated her once already.” He gulped down his coffee and Pym held out the carafe for seconds.

“What’s the Lord Auditor planning to do?”

“He’d like you to make sure the interview room is ready. The ladies were all sent to the remand centre as you well know—”

He broke in bitterly. “Yes, because I’m the one who sent them there! It’s slightly more comfortable out there than the ImpSec cells or the local lockup.”

“And very gentlemanly of you it was, sir, not knowing what we know now. Anyway, could you please arrange her transfer here under close escort for an immediate interview.”

Lauri rubbed a hand across the bristles on his chin, thinking. “The interview room is all ready to go. I had it set up again after we finished with Vormurtos. The fast-penta is restocked, too. I’ll go and fetch the woman myself. I’m not going to risk any slip-ups along the way. Close escort, you say? We don’t have any female guards and I’m not risking prison personnel on this duty. She’ll just have to like it or lump it. I’ll clean up while I’m waiting for the cruiser to be brought round. Please let his lordship know.”

Fatigue forgotten, Lauri raced to get ready. The showers at the gym were on the same level as the parking garage. It took him five minutes, and three of those were to allow his depilatory to work. By the time the escort squad turned out he was clean, present and correct in a fresh uniform. Agatha Vortorren had better not give him any trouble. He slid a shock stick into his belt just in case.


	12. Never underestimate a woman.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles starts unearthing information.

Miles Vorkosigan envied Tuomonen his little blue pill. Unfortunately with his idiosyncratic reactions to so many drugs it wasn’t a good idea for him to take one. Pym agreed with him as he helped him into one of his tailored tunics.

“You don’t really want to take a _stim_ , do you, my lord?”

There was a note of incredulity in his voice Miles didn’t quite care for. “What’s wrong with that, Pym?” He scowled at his armsman’s reflection in the inadequate mirror in his cramped quarters.

“My lord, the _last_ thing you need is a stim. What would your lady wife say? I think Count Voralys would express things a little more forcibly though.”

An unwilling grin stretched Miles’ mouth as he thought of his cousin Ivan. “You mean something along the lines of _You gave that hyperactive little git a_ stim _? Are you raving mad, Pym_?”

Pym smoothed the fabric across his shoulders and handed him a comb. “I’ll just make it coffee, shall I, sir?”

“Thank you.” Miles had already started to think about the interview with Agatha Vortorren. What had she been hoping to achieve here in Vandeville? He met Guy Allegre in the interview room to discuss it. The general was puzzled, too.

“I can’t think what the motive for all this is. There doesn’t seem to be any strong links between Vortaine and Vortorren, unless there’s something we haven’t come across as yet.”

Miles paced up and down. “Perhaps it’s the Vorlightly connection. If it’s traced through the mothers’ descent they could be more closely connected than we realise.” He glanced at his chrono. “I can’t go waking up my Aunt Alys at 0400 hours. If anyone knows about such things _she_ would know. It would have to be a very dark secret indeed for her not to know who was related to whom.”

It was another twenty minutes before Tuomonen finally appeared with Agatha Vortorren shackled to his wrist. Miles turned the recorders on when she appeared. A grim-faced corporal followed them in with a similar cuff on her other hand. With her hair disarranged, no makeup and wearing a particularly unattractive washed-out orange top and pants, she looked nothing like the queen of the social scene she prided herself on being. A torrent of protests, demands and complaints broke out as soon as she saw who waited for her. By the look on Tuomonen’s face he’d been subjected to a similar tirade for quite some time. Miles was having none of it.

“Be quiet! Sit down and co-operate if you want to be treated with more consideration. Agatha Vortorren, you are under arrest for attempted murder and suspicion of High Treason. I require you to answer certain questions I’m going to put to you. Do you understand?”

“I refuse to talk to a miserable mutant like you. I demand to see—oh!”

Tuomonen had had enough of her. He cracked his shock stick down on to the metal table, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Taking advantage of her momentary silence he pressed her down into the chair and transferred her handcuff to the shackle. Once the corporal had done the same he motioned the man out of the room. Agatha Vortorren tried once to pull against the cuffs then sat back in sullen silence. At the first attempt to roll back her sleeve she lunged to take a bite out of Tuomonen’s arm. He leapt back out of the way just in time and promptly put her into a head lock.

Miles could feel his temper slipping “We’re not _playing_ here. One word from me and Captain Tuomonen will break your neck. For the last time, sit still!”

Cowed at last, she stopped struggling, allowing Miles to do the honours. Tuomonen only let go once the fast-penta kicked in. She was still very hostile, if not quite as physical.

Miles started. “Please tell me your name.”

It was as if the words were forced out of her. “Princess Agatha Vortorren.”

 _Princess_? That was a good one. “I beg your pardon. Please explain _Princess_ to me.”

“My mother was Princess Violet. My grandmother was Princess Agatha. My great-grandmother was Princess Violet—”

“Stop. I get the idea. How far does this go back?”

“You have to ask? To Empress Matilda, of course, the Vorlightly Rose, She didn’t call her daughter Rose as she wished. She had to submit to the decree of Vlad, but she called her Violet instead. The _proof_ can only be traced to Dorca’s Empress, but in the family, we _know_.”

He really needed to talk to Aunt Alys, or, _wait a minute_ , Professora Vorthys would know this stuff as well. “What is your relationship with Gervaise Vortaine?”

She snarled again, but the drug did its work. “When we secede he’s going to marry my daughter and unite the lines. It’s not ideal but when the first plan failed this was the fall back.”

 _Secession_. She’d said the word. That was her death warrant, but who else was involved? “What _was_ your first plan?” Miles rather thought he knew what it was, but she needed to say it.

“Violet was supposed to marry Gregor Vorbarra. We could have put up with his bastard blood once the true line was restored, but now he’s married to that…that—”

“Komarran. He’s married a Komarran.”

Her nostrils flared. She spat the words. “That _Komarran_ bitch.”

Tuomonen’s eyes blazed with anger. Beside him, Guy Allegre’s fingers whitened where they gripped the table, but Miles watched him _make_ himself relax. He took a breath himself, and then another one. Apart from the insult to the lovely Laisa, this wasn’t adding up.

“Gervaise Vortaine is already married. That would be a problem, surely?”

“Not when he realised he could be Emperor in the South. He’s only married to a Vorrutyer. They have worse blood than Gregor. Who was _her_ mother? They’re as bad as you are, you _mutie_. She can soon be got rid of, and the weakling boy, too. A simple light flier accident would do it. _Violet’s_ son will be Emperor.”

 _A simple light flier_ accident, just like Count Pierre’s fiancée? He veered away from the other questions for a moment. “What can you tell me about Richars Vorrutyer?”

Emotions flickered across her face. “Now there was a more promising line. _His_ mother was a Rose. He married out, though, but he could have found a second wife, too, once he was count. He was very enthusiastic when I explained it all to him. It almost worked. We were so close, when Pierre finally died. What a job that was!” She stopped, thinking. “What were those counts _doing_ confirming that thing as count? But that’s men for you. You can never trust a man.” She glared at them. “Muties and proles, and you dare to—”

“Stop!” She was a sick and twisted woman. He’d need a shower after this. “Tell me about your daughter. Do you only have the one?”

“Violet? Violet is the first born, the true blood. Peony and Lily, they’ll marry second sons; they’ll be Vortorrens.”

“Where is Violet now?” Miles knew perfectly well where Violet was, but perhaps Agatha would lead them to another hideout if they were lucky.

“Violet’s at home, and safe. You can’t touch Violet. She’s done nothing. She has to do what her mother says.”

Guy Allegre shifted forward in his seat, wanting an answer. _Yes_ , he approved of the line of questioning. Violet Vortorren would have to be nearly forty if she was a day. Surely she had opinions of her own? Miles pressed Agatha. “Violet isn’t at your residence here in Vandeville. Where else would she be?”

Agatha Vortorren’s features betrayed her alarm. “What? Where is she? She has to be there. She can’t have gone to Komarr. She wouldn’t _dare_.”

 _Komarr_? How widespread _was_ this? “Why would she go to Komarr? Which Sector?”

“My cousin lives in Serifosa dome. She’s a traitor, loyal to Vorbarra. Violet threatened to run to her once but she has the blood whether she likes it or not. It’s her destiny”

 _Serifosa._ Not, surely…Gods, it would have to be…Ekaterin’s friend, who looked after Nikki for her during Tien’s fiasco. It was another loose end to be investigated, but it sounded like Madame Vortorren wasn’t involved in this South Continent madness. What if she knew about it, though?

Once they’d finished Miles left Tuomonen to write up the report. He needed coffee. Guy Allegre sat with him to debrief. He’d changed his mind about returning to Vorbarr Sultana that morning.

“I’ll go tomorrow, instead, my lord. There are still Jack Vormurtos and Marcel Vorwyn to interview, and someone needs to speak to Madame Vortaine.”

“And no doubt there will be more. I’ll take Tuomonen with me this afternoon to talk to Juliette Vortaine. If you do either Vormurtos or Vorwyn today we can finish with the other tomorrow before you leave.”

“I’ll do that. So you trust Tuomonen, then? After the Komarr affair I wasn’t entirely sure how sound he was, but I’ve been very favourably impressed with his work here.”

Miles couldn’t in his wildest dreams imagine Simon Illyan, _Vor_ illyan he should remember, asking anyone’s opinion of one of his ImpSec officers, but here was Guy Allegre discussing one of his officers quite freely. Perhaps it was his position as auditor. Whatever it was, now was his chance to put in a good word for the man. “Tuomonen is a very able man. I know the mud stuck over the wormhole affair, but it shouldn’t have. He’s proven his worth time and time again. I’d be very happy to work with him in the future.”

“Hmm” The general recovered from his slip. “I’ll bear that in mind. Are you going to report to the emperor, or shall I do it?”

“I want to talk to my Aunt Alys, and to Professora Vorthys. I’ll let you inform Gregor. I might just lose it. I really don’t know how I kept myself from strangling that woman.”

A coldness crept into the general’s eyes, to match anything he’d ever seen in Simon Illyan “Her departure is only postponed. I’ll make a formal request for a warrant while I’m talking to His Majesty.”

Armsman Harper regretted that Lady Alys had not yet left her bedroom suite. Miles glanced impatiently at his chrono, to see it was only 0615. Not everyone kept the same hours as he did, of course. Sane people were still in bed and fast asleep at 0615. Harper didn’t say as much, but it was more than his life was worth to disturb her ladyship at this ungodly hour of the day. Miles toyed with the idea of insisting, but his aunt had very subtle ways of her own to make his life miserable if he transgressed her ideas of propriety. He’s been a grown adult for over ten years and she still could wither him with a glance. Lord Auditor Vorthys kept early hours, he knew. The professora would be awake.

They were sitting to breakfast. Georg Vorthys swivelled the com set so that he could see both of them. “Hello, Miles! I thought you were still in Vandeville.” He glanced at the data pad. “Oh, you _are_ still in Vandeville. What can I do for you this morning?”

Helen rose to leave them to it, but Miles prevented her. “Aunt Helen, it’s your expertise I’m after this morning. I need to find out about the Vorlightly Rose. What can you tell me. please?”

She sat down to the table again, a small frown wrinkling her nose. “The symbol, the society, or the person?”

“I know she was Empress Matilda and how the rose was incorporated into the Vorbarra sigil, but I didn’t know about the society.”

“Well, you wouldn’t. It was disbanded after Yuri was removed, well before you were born. At least…” she hesitated for a moment. “There were rumours. Nothing has been heard from the Vorlightly Rose Society in sixty or seventy years They were a bunch of society ladies all claiming descent from Empress Matilda. Harmless old fossils, for the most part, but they didn’t approve of Ezar, or your grandfather, for that matter. Ezar demolished the society building and they were scattered to the four winds.” She saw his expression. “Or so we thought. But the Vorlightly Rose wasn’t just the Empress, you know. There was a Vorlightly Rose in every generation since. Over two hundred years’ worth of them, _Keeping the blood pure_.”

Violet Vortorren. _She has the blood whether she likes it or not_. “How have I never heard of them before this?”

She shrugged. “They were never taken very seriously. Ezar called them _that gardening club._ I think he underestimated them. Are you telling me they…pardon the analogy…just went underground?”

“I rather fear so. I’m going to speak to my Aunt Alys after this, to see if she’s heard of them.”

“Oh, she’d know about them. Her mother was eligible to join, being descended from the Empress on the female side, but Lady Carys despised Violet Vortorren back in the day. Their rift was famous, at the time.”

That must have been Agatha’s mother. His head was starting to hurt, trying to keep them all straight. Miles really needed to speak to his aunt, but it began to look more and more like this plot had been very long in the making. Helen Vorthys wasn’t stupid.

“Are the chickens coming home to roost? I’ve said for fifty years that Barrayar underestimates its women. They’re dismissed far too often.”

“My mother says the same thing, of course. I can’t really talk about it, but you’re not wrong.”

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help. I’ll look in the archives today and see if there’s anything I can come up with. All my love to Ekaterin and the children, but I’m likely to see them before you do, I suspect.”

“I’m hoping to get her down here, when the flames die down. She deserves a holiday.”

Miles closed the com. So it wasn’t just one crazy woman hatching this plot. It sounded like the Vorlightly Rose society was well-established at one time. He checked again. It was nearly 0730. He called back to Voralys House. Armsman Fox answered, Ivan’s armsman commander.

“Good morning, my Lord Auditor. Lady Alys has been informed of your earlier call. I’ll connect you now.”

Lady Alys looked as immaculate as ever. Her dark hair was coiled behind her head with the simple elegance she adopted when not required for any formal duties at The Residence. She looked _happy_ , Miles realised. He never remembered her showing emotion as he grew up. She was always cool and collected and…and just _Lady Alys Vorpatril_ , the pattern card for High Vor behaviour.

“Miles, this is an unexpected honour. I trust your parents are well?”

He hastened to reassure her. Of course she would think something was wrong if he called so early in the day. “As far as I know they’re both in excellent health, my lady. I’m calling on quite another matter. On the Emperor’s business, in fact.”

“Oh, I’ll change the security.” She pressed a button, the screen flickered for an instant and a red light appeared in the bottom corner of the image. Miles approved. She knew the score. There was no need to ask Aunt Alys to be careful of security.

“Aunt Alys, what can you tell me about Agatha and Violet Vortorren?”

The change was dramatic. Her face paled and she closed her eyes, but not before Miles saw a look of pure agony flash across her expression. She recovered immediately. “Do excuse me, Miles. I wasn’t prepared for that. You can’t be talking about the Violet Vortorren _I_ knew. She’s been dead for years.” Very uncharacteristically for his aunt, she added, “And I hope she’s rotting in her grave. I suppose Agatha is still alive. She’s a year or two older than I am.”

“The Violet I referred to is Agatha’s daughter. I’m sorry if it causes you pain, but I’m investigating sedition and treason. It’s very important I know everything there is to know.”

Lady Alys rested back in her chair. Miles would never say slumped, but it came close. “I’ve never told anyone this, Miles.”

He said nothing. She sighed a small, sad sigh. “Violet Vortorren was absolutely opposed to my marriage to Padma. She told my mother I was a disgrace for aligning myself to the bastard’s blood, as she called it. Prince Xav was never legitimised in _her_ eyes. She never spoke to my mother again after we married.”

There must be something else. Aunt Alys was never one to worry over much about name calling. He was right. She continued. “She was one of Vidal Vordarian’s staunchest supporters. She claimed he had the right by blood, or some nonsense. Padma and I were trapped in the capital, as you well know. We were safe, waiting for Ivan to arrive. Mary…you know my friend, Lady Mary Vorville?” She waited for his nod. “Mary risked her life and came one night to tell us we’d been betrayed. Agatha was always jealous of me. She told Violet where I was and Violet told Vordarian’s men. She wanted to…to purify the line. They were on their way. We had my bag packed for the hospital. That’s all we escaped with, to that…dreadful hotel in the Caravanserai. Mary brought us food from time to time, but when my labour started Padma went to find a doctor. You know the rest.”

“What happened to Violet, do you know?”

“She was banished. I wanted her executed, but Aral sent her away, in the amnesty. That was the last I heard of _her_ , although I remember now Agatha came back to Vorbarr Sultana.” A bitter laugh escaped her. “She actually thought _her_ daughter would be a suitable match for Gregor! Can you _believe_ the hubris? He had one dance with her, and that was enough for him. Oh, of course, that was your Violet. I was scraping the barrel by then you see.”

Lady Alys had left no stone unturned, trying to find a wife for Gregor. “We’re not going to make the same mistake my father made, Aunt Alys. I can tell you that. Guy Allegre is asking Gregor for a death warrant as we speak.”

Her eyes flickered with a gleam of satisfaction. “Old feuds die hard. Agatha was the original one responsible for Padma’s death, in my eyes.”

It was probably time to change the subject. “There’s also someone else you might know down here. Letty Vorrutyer.”

“Letty… _Ursulette_ Vorrutyer? Oh, my goodness. Prince Serg had this dreadful plan cooked up with her father to marry her to Gregor! She was years older than he was. Don’t tell me _she’s_ in Vandeville.”

“The very same. Married to the District Administrator.”

She was nearly struck speechless. “But surely she would have known where her niece was? Juliette, I mean. Gregor let me know she’d been found in very unpleasant circumstances.”

“Oh, she knew. She was part of the problem but we actually have two problems. Before we finish, could you please tell me what you understand by the Vorlightly Rose?”

“There was the society. The criterion for admission was descent in the female line from Empress—oh, Miles, is this what it’s all about? The feud between my mother and Violet Vortorren started over Ezar claiming the camp stool. Violet accused Mother of treason to be supporting Ezar. Things were never the same. Both mother and I could have been members of the society if we wished, but she thought they were _dangerous lunatics_. Ezar got rid of them the first chance he could. Ekaterin’s office is built on the site of the old society building.”

“Thank you very much indeed, Aunt Alys. You’ve been a great help.”

“Any time, dear boy. My love to your mother. Try not to give her any more grey hairs. You know she worries about your father.”

“I’ll try my best, Aunt Alys.”

Why did he always feel like a naughty boy when Alys looked at him just like that? He had to straighten his chain and remember who he was before he went off to find out what the others were doing.


	13. It's not Imperial business, Count.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauri doesn't approve of Count Vortaine.

Lauri slipped his arms into his last clean shirt. He hadn’t had a chance to use the laundry in the basement, but more to the point it had been three days since he’d been home to see his wife and children. It was a toss up in the fifteen minutes he had spare this morning whether to clean his uniforms or call Jenna. He finished buttoning his tunic, fixed his insignia into place and ran a comb through his hair.

“Another day another mark,” he told his reflection. He’d pass inspection, all ready to go. Well, he was certainly earning his salary this week. It was just a pity the emperor didn’t pay officers overtime. …Better get to it.

A familiar figure walked down the corridor towards him when he left the locker room. He hadn’t seen him since the raid on the Imperial Club. “Harrison! I’m very pleased to see you. Are you coming back to us?”

The trooper grinned at him. “Not just yet, sir. Sergeant Tolya gave me time off to do the laundry. We’ve run out of clothes. Babysitting can get messy.”

 _Perfect_. There were three machines, after all. “Harrison, could I ask you to do a personal favour for me? You can say no without prejudice, of course. This is _my_ last clean shirt. Prisoner close escort can get pretty messy, too.”

“What did he do, sir? Vomit on you?”

“Not him, _her_ , and she has a nasty habit of spitting if you give her half a chance.”

“Oh, gross. Not the old harpy from the club, sir, was it?”

“The very one. Would you mind, Harrison? I want to talk to my wife before she forgets all about me. I’m probably well in the black books.”

“Not when I saw her last, sir. She’s worried you won’t be eating the right things or getting enough sleep.”

There was something wrong with the world when Harrison had seen Jenna and he hadn’t. “Yes, that’s right. I forgot. She’s been meeting up with Madame Vortaine, hasn’t she?”

“Yes, and Madame…er…I mean—”

“The honourable herm. It won’t take offence if you call it Madame.”

“Yes. It’s very…out there. I thought I knew herms, from my duty on Beta, but I guess they’re all individuals the same as us. Sela Thorne is very individual. Haul out your washing, sir, and I’ll put it through with mine and Sergeant Tolya’s.”

He really was a trooper. Lauri fetched the duffel full of dirty clothes and still had ten minutes left to call Jenna. Her face blossomed into focus on the first buzz. “Hi honey!”

“Don’t you _Hi honey_ me, you…you deserter! _Two_ messages in three days! What have you got to say for yourself?”

She was smiling. He wasn’t dead meat. Not quite. Not yet. “I love you.”

“You _love_ me? That’s all right then. What have you been doing? Saving the Empire?” She paused, looking at his face. “Wait, don’t tell me you _have_ been saving the Empire.”

“You know I can’t tell you anything. I _have_ found you a job, if you want it. There’ll be a crèche right on the premises and everything. Lord Vorkosigan wants you.”

“Lord Vor—what for? When?” She was instantly suspicious.

“Manager of the new Galactic Club. He’s going to talk to you about it. Is Riika there? How about Jukka? Is he awake?”

Her eyes sharpened. “They’re here. Don’t change the subject.”

“I’ve only got five more minutes, Jenna. Please.”

She shook her head at him in mock disapproval. “Playing the sympathy card? Here’s Riika. I’m only going to pick up Jukka if he’s awake, so don’t hold your breath.”

She disappeared and Riika’s head bobbed into the picture. “Hello, Da. When are you coming home?”

Her curly black hair was caught up on each side of her head and bobbed with excitement. Her pure, beaming smile eased something he didn’t realise had tightened in his chest after dealing with the scum he’d had to talk to for the past couple of days. He could put up with a lot of crap if it meant a safer world for a darling like his daughter, and all the other children who deserved better. “I don’t know, Riika. Very soon, I hope. My boss is here from Vorbarr Sultana and we’re working really hard. What have you got planned today?”

“Ma is going to take us to visit Dono and Anya and Sonia again. They’re my new friends. We might be going to make a cake. Dono’s never made a cake, and he’s older than me.”

“I’m really happy that you’re being kind to Dono and his family. He hasn’t had much fun for a while.”

“His Ma is nice, but his Da is really mean. He hit him at the water park.”

“Don’t you worry about Dono’s Da. I can promise you he won’t do that again. Is that Jukka I can hear?”

Riika glanced around. “I think he’s made a mess. Ma’s taking his clothes off.”

“Tell her not to worry on my behalf. I have to go.” Jenna must have heard him. There was a muffled sound off screen. “What was that she said?”

Her face appeared briefly. “Your son has messed all his clothes. He needs a bath.”

“Sorry, darling. I’ll leave you to it.”

“That would be right.” She laughed. She wasn’t really angry with him. “Left holding the baby. _Again_.”

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He kissed his fingers and held them out to the vid camera. “Love you, Jenna. Love you, Riika.”

 _Right_. He could cope with the day now, whatever the universe was going to throw up at him this time. Bring it on…

He was called out of one of the never-ending interrogations a few hours later when the corporal on the custody desk buzzed through to him. The Lord Auditor and General Allegre were interviewing Marcel Vorwyn. He had one of the bit players, who could keep, but it was annoying all the same. There was a noise in the reception area. It was a big, blustering bully of a man trying to bullock his corporal. Lauri was a bit over bullies.

The man had a House uniform on. By the looks of the embroidery he was a count, no less. No one in their right minds would choose to wear that vile colour. He had to be a count. It only took him a second to place it. Ah, yes. Count Vortaine. He should have expected him. There was someone else there in the waiting room. Lauri looked past the blustering count and his two armsmen to see Byerly Vorrutyer. He had been expected. The count certainly wasn’t.

 _Shit_ , of course. Vortaine would have legal custody over the boy. Did Vorrutyer realise? Surely he must. He needed to get young Dono out of Vortaine’s clutches. Jenna and the kids would be with them. They’d better not get caught up in Vor power games or he’d have somebody’s head.

The corporal was happy to hand off the confrontation to someone with a much higher pay grade than he did. “It’s Count Vortaine, sir. He doesn’t have an appointment.”

The count turned his attention to the newcomer. “It’s been reported to me that my nephew has been killed. I’m here to make sure the property and welfare of his son are properly supervised.“

Lauri looked him over. He’d said _property_ before he’d said _welfare_. He’d kick him out if he had the option, but the man was a count, unfortunately. He swallowed his dislike.

“If you’d like to come through, my lord count, I’ll inquire if the Lord Auditor is able to see you. I know he had an interview scheduled for 1100 hours but I’m sure he’ll make the time for you if it’s at all possible. Your armsmen will have to surrender their weapons, of course. There are no exceptions.”

Count Vortaine seemed to think _he_ was an exception. “Wait until I see that poor excuse for a Vor. How dare he ask my armsmen to disarm? I’m entitled to have protection!”

 _Entitled_. That would be right. Being entitled didn’t mean you could be an obnoxious prick. He wasn’t going to start arguing with him. “It’s an Imperial Security matter, sir, and there are no exceptions. Your armsmen may wait here and keep their weapons, or follow you and surrender them to the property sergeant.”

He had to repeat himself as Vortaine blustered some more. The man was wasting his breath and Lauri’s time. He wasn’t going to back down this side of Winterfair. At last Vortaine gave up and signalled to his men.

“Hand over your weapons and come with me.” He marched past the scanner, only to have the forcefield snap into place and the alarm sound. Was the man an idiot?

“There are no exceptions, count.” Lauri held his hand out. “Your own weapon, if you please. It’s the same protocol as you’re used to at Vorhartung Castle, since the Vordrozda affair.”

 _Good_. That had hit home. Vortaine didn’t like him bringing up Vordrozda.

“It’s not the emperor, damn you, man. It’s only Vorkosigan! He’s not even a count.”

A vision of the little man flashed through Lauri’s head. He was twice the man Vortaine was, and more. “It’s the Imperial Auditor, my lord count. You weapon, if you please.”

There was no option B. Vortaine produced his stunner. “Your superior is going to hear of this.”

Damn right he was. Lauri faced him down. “He most certainly is, sir. General Allegre is in the building. Shall I have him called out of his meeting? He won’t be pleased.” _Hah. Game, set and match. Bluff your way out of that one._

Vortaine folded. “Guy Allegre is _here_? What the hell’s been happening in this backwater? Where is my nephew’s body, and where is his family?”

He wasn’t about to tell him a thing. Let the man sweat. “The Lord Auditor will brief you, sir, if you would care to step this way.”

“Captain Tuomonen!”

 _Hell!_ Lauri turned to face Byerly Vorrutyer. What was he _doing_? He’d missed his chance to get young Dono away.

The count hadn’t realised he was there, and he wasn’t best pleased to see him, either. “Vorrutyer! You here already! I might have guessed. Don’t think you’re going to get your degenerate hands on my nephew’s estate. I’ll see you damned first.”

Vorrutyer made an exquisite bow to the count. Was that the shadow of a wink as he rose to full height again? Oh, of course he knew the implications. Dono was probably already half way to safety.

Vorrutyer could insult with the sweetest of words. It was a skill Lauri admired. “It’s a great pleasure to see you, too, my lord count. We could only wish it to be under less…er…calamitous circumstances, perhaps. I’m here on an entirely different matter, but now that you’ve mentioned it I, too, have an interest in my nephew’s welfare. Perhaps the Lord Auditor will be so good as to see us together?”

Delay, distract and deflect. _Good strategy._ Lauri was happy to assist. He’d read what had happened to the little boy at the hands of the Vortaine family. “It _would_ save time. I’ll see what the Lord Auditor wishes to do.”

The count looked like he was about to go off in an apoplexy. “I’ll not have a Vorrutyer meddling in my family affairs, and especially not this Vorrutyer. You’ll do no such thing, Captain. I forbid it.”

Forbid it? Who did he think he was? Or where did he think he was, more like. Sod that for a game of soldiers. “This is, however, an Imperial Territory, my lord count.”

Vorrutyer added his mite to the mix. “I hardly think the foyer is the best place to discuss the matter. It’s not something Vorrutyers, even this Vorrutyer, do as a matter of course.”

Lauri prepared to step in between the two of them as Vortaine clenched his fists.

“Are you presuming to speak for your District? By what right, I’d like to know?”

He had to bite his lip again. Vorrutyer turned on his High Vor hauteur as if he’d flicked a switch. “But why ever not, my lord count? I’m Count Dono’s Voice and voting deputy, or had you forgotten, and still his heir for a few weeks yet, at least. Who else would have a better right?” 

_That_ shut him up. Vortaine stomped off down the corridor in high dudgeon. Lauri stood aside to allow him into a conference room. Vorrutyer waggled an eyebrow at him as he walked past. He was poking the bear with malicious glee now. Lauri left the two of them to it and went to find Lord Vorkosigan. 

They were just finishing up with Vorwyn. Lauri waited outside until the Lord Auditor called for the prisoner escort and then filled him in on the situation as succinctly as he could. He could see the iniquity of the situation as well as Lauri could.

“He can’t be allowed to take the boy. We have to stop him somehow.”

“I think Vorrutyer has a plan in hand, my lord. He seems too relaxed to me as all he’s doing is pulling Vortaine’s chain. I thought the good count was going to have a stroke for a minute there.”

“We can’t have that, can we? Not on the premises, anyway. Vortaine can have a stroke in his own bed with my good will. There’s less paperwork that way.”

It was superb to watch the double act between Vorkosigan and Vorrutyer. They gave Vortaine the runaround for a good ten minutes. Vorkosigan kept it up until the count lost what little patience he had and demanded Vorkosigan hand the boy over.

The Lord Auditor opened his empty hands. “The Emperor has no interest in the movement of private citizens. Madame Vortaine was cleared of any involvement in the treason plot. She was free to go. Custody is a civil matter, as you well know. I suggest you petition Gregor, Count, or raise it in the Council.”

Vortaine couldn’t contain himself. “Mark my words, you haven’t heard the last of this, either of you. That’s exactly what I’m going to do, petition the emperor, and I’m going to do it _today_.”

That was his cue. Lauri broke in on them. “Let me show you out, my lord count. It’s this way.” With any luck he could waste another ten minutes returning the armsmen’s weapons.

By the time he got back he’d worked out what Vorrutyer had done. Devaux was nowhere to be seen. He and the Vortaines were probably half way to somewhere by now. It was best not to ask. That way he wouldn’t have to lie to anyone who might inquire. As he came into the room the Lord Auditor stood up. Lord Vorkosigan must have decided not to interview Vorrutyer himself. Count Vortaine had eaten into his time.

“Ah, here’s Tuomonen. I’ll let him take your statement, By, and meanwhile I’ll get on to Gregor. All my love to Juliette when you see her again.”

Lauri stood to attention as Lord Vorkosigan left. He’d just been passed a subtle message to put the fast-penta away. This was going to be a witness interview and statement, not an interrogation. It would make a nice change.

Lauri was studying the mountain of reports building up when a red light flickered on his comconsole. He checked the code, then dropped everything to answer. It was Jenna on her emergency line.

“Jenna! What is it? What’s happened? Are you all right?”

“Hi honey.” Jenna parroted his greeting from the morning. “Byerly Vorrutyer is here. He’s just told me an armed man is watching our house.”

Lauri pressed the squad alert before he answered. His pulse began to drop back to normal levels. “Watching our house or watching him? He didn’t happen to describe this man, did he?”

Jenna’s lips twitched. “Well, he’s doing both at the moment. No, Byerly didn’t say what he looked like.”

“I can guess. I’m organising a squad now. They shouldn’t be more than a few minutes. Make sure the children are safe.”

“Riika was very upset when Enzo descended like an avenging angel and whisked all the Vortaines away. Has something happened?”

It wasn’t Imperial business. He could tell her. “Count Vortaine happened. He arrived here this morning to take custody of Dono.” He saw her perplexed expression. “It’s Barrayaran law. Male children belong to the closest male relative if the father dies.”

“That’s _barbaric_!”

He nodded. “I happen to agree with you and so does the Lord Auditor. Vorrutyer is distracting Count Vortaine while Devaux gets them all to safety.”

“Oh, how clever! I could kiss Byerly!”

She _what_? “Oh no you couldn’t. He’d kiss you back.”

Jenna had a devil in her eye. She’d come alive these last few days. “That would worry you, would it?”

“You know it would. The only one going to be kissing you is me. Let me organise this squad. Just hang tight until they get there.” He kissed his fingers and held them out to her before he cut the com. He sent a corporal and two men to round up the _armed man._ “I want him alive. Stunners only.” He went back to work with a smile on his lips. All bets were off on the identity of the idiot who thought he could spy on an impSec married quarter.

Only a total fool would try to conduct surveillance dressed in a distinctive grey uniform. The magenta facings and stripe on the trousers added the final insult to injury. Lauri got the man’s name out of him, LeBrun, and the claim that he was Count Vortaine’s armsman. He knew perfectly well who the man was. He’d seen him for himself a few hours ago, but there was still the matter of Territorial and Imperial law. Sadly for LeBrun, Vortaine was already back in Vorbarr Sultana. The custody sergeant managed to find a cosy little nook for him overnight until Vortaine managed to send another armsman down to bail him out.

It was Lauri's last task for the day. Lord Vorkosigan poked his head round the office door.

“Captain Tuomonen, stand down. Go home to that wife of yours and persuade her to take up that job offer. I want tonight to be my last night in this place. I’m sick of these four walls and I’m sure you are, too. Don’t show your face back here before 0800, and that’s an order.”

Lauri was very happy to comply. Paxton was more than competent to run the night shift, and he could have the whole day off tomorrow. He dropped his stylus and stretched out his back. His clean uniforms were hanging in his locker. There was nothing more he needed to do that couldn’t wait until the morning. It was only 1700 hours. He’d have the chance to see both Jukka and Riika before they went to bed. “At your command, my lord.”

__

__


	14. His Imperial Majesty's Galactic Club.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles wants a comfortable bed and a window.

Miles Vorkosigan lay in his bed in the half-state between waking and sleeping, with his back brain fermenting away. It wouldn’t be long before Pym brought his coffee in and this was his last chance to exercise his brain for a while. He was going to have to use his stimulator tonight and that drove analytical thought away for at least a day. So what was it that had crept unbidden into his mind while he slept? Something he’d missed?

 _The portraits._ The portraits in the conference room at the Imperial Club. He’d thought it had been a portrait of Gervaise Vortaine, but it was much older than he was, printed not long after the club had been built, perhaps. Maybe they should fetch one over and take a better look at it. It wasn’t the present Count Vortaine, but maybe his father? Too bad the man was dead. He’d escaped attainder by the skin of his teeth after the Pretendership. Had he really committed treason? How did he manage to get off scot free?

The delightful smell of coffee reached him before Pym came in with his drink and a basket of spiced bread. Pym looked like he’d had a good night’s sleep, too. Miles’ conscience twinged over Pym. He’d been working the man to death again, as usual. He was always there to wake him up _and_ put him to bed, plus Miles couldn’t take a step outside without Pym there to shadow him. Not that he _had_ taken too many steps outside, and none at all since Madame Vortaine’s interview.

“Good morning, Pym. You’re due some time off.”

“Good morning, my lord. I’ll make a note of that. Have you decided what you’d like to wear today after your workout?”

There were four grey suits in the closet. Pym did like his little jokes. “You choose, Pym. I want to talk to my wife while I still have my breath. Captain Tuomonen sets a killing pace in the gym.” He remembered what he’d said the previous evening. “Oh, hang on a minute. He won’t be there today, will he? He’s not coming in until 0800.”

“ _I’ll_ be there, sir.”

Miles looked at Pym with something approaching resentment festering in his chest. He was a Lord Auditor! He could slacken off if he felt like it. Pym’s face was totally expressionless as he handed him the basket of spiced bread. _Or not._ Pym had his orders from Ekaterin. Somehow he’d missed it when her word had become law in his house. Better not eat too much of this bread, then.

There was the sound of someone whistling in the corridor. Miles caught Pym’s eye and they both grinned. “Is that you, Captain Tuomonen?” It was spot on the dot of 0800.

Tuomonen appeared through the office door. “Good morning, My Lord Auditor.”

“Good morning. I take it you slept well?

The captain smiled. “Thank you, sir. I did, eventually.”

 _Half his luck_. Ekaterin was missing him, he knew, but not as much as he was missing her. “And the children? They remembered who you are?”

“They did. We managed to have dinner without any carnage or puking, then I got to put them both to bed while Jenna went out.”

 _Wait one_ , what was that? “Jenna went _out_?”

“She did sir. Byerly Vorrutyer and Sela Thorne are heading back to Vorbarr Sultana as soon as Vorrutyer finishes his decorating commission. They’ve been spending a lot of time with Jenna one way or another, so she went over for some farewell drinks.”

Miles couldn’t quite believe it. The man had been working like a draught horse. “And left you to babysit?”

Tuomonen blinked at the indignation in his voice. “It’s not babysitting when it’s your own children, my lord. I was looking after them, yes. She’d had them for three nights straight without a break, and it was my pleasure to have some time with them. They’re…water in the desert, a perfect antidote for the evil scum we’ve been dealing with.”

It was a gentle reproof. Miles hadn’t really thought about it that way, but Tuomonen was perfectly right.

“Yes, of course. I don’t suppose you found the time to ask Jenna about the management job.”

The twinkle was back in his eye. “We did find a few minutes to _talk_. I took the liberty of asking her to meet us at the club at 1000. She’ll have to bring the children with her as it’s school holidays. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“No, I don’t think so. Pym will be happy to look after them if the need arises.” _That_ would teach him to push him through those extra reps. “I was going to send for one of the portraits from the conference room, but we can easily collect one ourselves. I’m trying to rack my brains to work out who it is. Do you have any ideas?”

“I have a bit of a theory, but I’d like to take another look at one of them first before I commit myself.”

“Fair enough. I think we should invite Lindy Leclerq to join us. We can see how she and Jenna get along before we mention anything to her about her secondment. Pym, could you please arrange that for us?”

“Certainly, sir. I’ll do that now. We’ll see if Mademoiselle Leclerq is punctual. It’s always good to know these things in advance.”

Tuomonen looked slightly uncomfortable. “You do understand nothing is settled, sir. Jenna may very well turn you down.”

If he thought that he could have another think. Miles wasn’t going to let a minor detail get in his way and he wanted _out_ of ImpSec’s hospitality suite. It didn’t even have a window. He _especially_ wanted to be out if he had to use his stimulator. The less people who caught wind of that the better.

“I have every confidence in your’s wife’s ability to choose an advantageous situation for herself. It’s only temporary, but for as long as she wishes. She may even wish to stay on for the duration of your posting.”

“If she gets paid anything like her salary on Komarr I can resign and live off her earnings. Had you considered that aspect of the appointment, my lord?”

No, he couldn’t say he had. It wouldn’t be coming out of _his_ pocket. “Fortunately, it will be the emperor who’ll foot the bill for her salary, not me, but I don’t think we’ll be able to match Komarran rates, but then we don’t have the same cost of living here in Vandeville.”

“It’s all speculation, anyway. I’ll get to work. What time would you like to leave, my lord? Would 0940 suit?”

The sun shone brightly as they crossed the square. The sun always seemed to be shining in Vandeville. Emperor Yuri-with-Ezar’s-face looked down on them in frowning disapproval. The crowds of shoppers and sightseers parted in hushed respect for the Lord Auditor, resplendent in his grey suit and chain of office, the imposing armsman and the two looming ImpSec personnel. Tuomonen had brought Harrison along with them for the awe factor. Unlike the visit to the school, Harrison wore his combat hemet with his half armour and carried his plasma rifle at the high port. Miles felt a little awed himself. The man must be cooking under all that kit.

Tuomonen exchanged salutes with the trooper on guard at the front door. It was cool in the club, and dim after the brightness outside. It took Miles a moment or two to adjust. There was no sign of the recent melée in the foyer and only the faintest smell of charcoaled wood still lingered, mixed with that of damp plaster and fresh paint. The front desk was deserted bar a lonely trooper monitoring the communications. He scrambled to his feet and stood at rigid attention as the party approached.

“At ease. Anything unusual to report?”

The trooper looked in horror from Miles to Captain Tuomonen and back again. The sight of the Lord Auditor had apparently struck him dumb. Tuomonen broke it down for him. Not all his men were Harrisons. “Any visitors? Any calls? Have you got your log of calls there? Have the contractors signed off?”

It gave the man time to collect his scattered wits. The only calls had been out-of-towners not up with the latest news attempting to book accommodation and the townspeople had had the good sense to stay very far away. Tuomonen dismissed him to take a break and Pym departed to collect Lindy Leclerq. He ushered Jenna Tuomonen in as well when he returned.

Jenna blew her husband a kiss. “We met crossing the square.”

“Da!” Riika ran up to him. Tuomonen gave her a brief hug and placed a finger to his lips as he put her down again. “Oh, yes, I remember. I’ve got my reader.” She plonked herself on one of the lounges and flicked on her book.

“Well trained,” Miles murmured.

Tuomonen shrugged. “For now. Give her five minutes.”

Jenna parked the float stroller beside Riika and joined them. She looked very professional and very Komarran in smart dark blue trousers and matching short jacket with a crisp white shirt underneath.

“Good morning, my Lord Auditor. I’ve been wanting to have a word to somebody. You’ll do the trick very nicely. Could you please tell me why no-one informed me that my husband had been wounded in service of the emperor?”

Miles blinked. Temporarily on the back foot he had to think quickly. “I apologise Madame. As your husband is the senior officer here, it’s normally his job to inform next of kin of casualties. Perhaps he didn’t want to worry you?”

“Perhaps you need to update standing orders? If he was more seriously injured who would have told me?”

“We’ll take a look at it. I _am_ glad you reminded me about it, actually, as it’s something I need to report to His Imperial Majesty.”

Over her shoulder he watched Tuomonen’s expression of mild horror at his wife’s temerity turn to one of alarm. Time to move on. “Is this your first visit to the Imperial Club, Madame?”

“Please call me Jenna. Yes, I’ve never been here before.” She ran a calculating eye over the foyer and reception area, “It has possibilities. I’d want to see what the rooms are like, and the kitchens. They make or break any hotel.”

“I’ve arranged for a former employee, who could very well retain his employment if you find him suitable, to take you both on a tour.” He turned to include Lindy Leclerq. "I’ve forgotten my manners. Good morning, Mademoiselle. The management of the hotel is going to come under direct Imperial supervision and I have it in mind to second you to take charge of the finances under the direction of Madame Tuomonen. Before either of you say anything, take your time to have a look around, talk about us behind our backs and see if you’d like to work together. We’re hoping to re-badge as the Galactic club and be open to anyone, Galactics, Proles and Vor alike. Captain Tuomonen and I have another little job to do, so I’ll send Harrison with you two. He can be very deaf when he wants to be. Can’t you, Harrison?”

On cue, the trooper dared smile at him. “What was that you said, my lord?”

“See what I mean? We’ll look after the children. Pym’s come prepared.”

His face as straight as a poker, Pym produced a packet of wet wipes and a glove puppet. It looked like some Terran creature. A monkey, perhaps? Where the hell he’d found it Miles had no idea. Pym was…well, Pym.

They parted to go their various ways, Jenna and Lindy escorted by a visibly nervous man with _Concierge_ written on his uniform, Pym to see what book Riika was reading and Miles and Tuomonen together headed to the special basement. They paused in the committee room. There were shelves lined with old leather ledgers, probably hotel registers going back to Dorca’s day, leather upholstered chairs and a huge, gleaming oak table.

Tuomonen took it all in. “So this is what privilege looks like.”

Miles thought about Vorkosigan House. “More or less. It supports all the craftsmen who make these things, don’t forget. My mother is always buying things she doesn’t really want. She says it’s to keep people in their jobs.”

“I wonder…” Tuomonen took a closer look at the books. “You don’t suppose any of these are the minutes for the meetings.”

“We’ll have to get every single one looked at by your analysts.” Miles waited for the reaction. There were only two analysts stationed in Vandeville, Tuomonen and his lieutenant, Paxton.

“It looks like I won’t have any trouble sleeping for about two years.” Tuomonen shook his head and headed for the further door. “Let’s get a good look at these posters downstairs.”

There were eight identical pictures of the so-called Emperor in the South. They took one each and examined them closely. There was nothing in between the picture and the travel poster, no hidden writing covered by the frames. Miles tapped an image. “These look like offset printing. That hasn’t been used since, do you know when, Tuomonen?”

“Since Yuri’s Day, my lord. I checked last night.”

“I’m surprised you had the time.” Miles thought about it. “Why did you look it up last night?”

“I got to thinking. This seems all very blatant. There were no printers on the South Continent at that time. It had barely been opened up. This was done in one of the North Continent Districts. Towards the end of the civil war Yuri was prepared to do just about anything to hang on to power. What if he bartered away control of the South Continent in exchange for support in the north?”

It was a novel idea. “I’ve never heard a thing about that. Who would know, I wonder? Lord Auditor Vorparadjis, perhaps, or Count Vorhalas, maybe? It’s worth pursuing. I’d like to find the original portrait these were taken from. That might give us a lot more clues.”

Tuomonen looked at his print with profound disapproval. “It’s not in the Art Gallery here. I’ve been there with the family. It might be hidden away in the reserve collection, of course. I’ll get that checked. Maybe in some private house? Out at Vortaine’s place, or Vortorren’s? I’ll add it to the list.”

Miles snapped his fingers. “I’ve just remembered someone else who might be able to help. Sasha Vorvayne, Ekaterin’s father. He’s lived on the South Continent all his life.”

Tuomonen collected one of the pictures. “I’ll take this with me and run it through the image identifier. It may already be on record, although somehow I doubt it.”

They met up back in the foyer. There hadn’t been a peep out of Jukka, or Riika either, for that matter. Jenna and Lindy seemed to be on friendly terms with each other.

Jenna nodded to them. "We can do this. The housekeeping standards were very high. There’s hardly anything that needs to be done. The kitchens need fresh food, of course, and staff. I can start tomorrow morning, once someone, or more like a team, moves that table from the committee room. It should come apart and then it can be stored in the conference room. We won’t be using that for a while. What’s that you’ve got there?”

Miles, not for the first time and, he was quite sure, not for the last, blinked at Jenna’s forthrightness. There was no shilly-shallying about with her. There must never be a dull moment in the Tuomonen household. “Er, that’s excellent news. We’ll get the table moved today. Give Pym a list of essentials for the crèche and we can add to it as we go along.” Oh, yes, she’s asked about the picture. “This is someone we’re trying to trace. We need to track down the original.”

“Oh, we can tell you where that is.” Jenna and Lindy nodded agreement. “We’ve just seen it. It’s in the Royal Suite.”

“It is?” Tuomonen looked blank. “I didn’t see it.”

“So were you in the Royal Suite or the Prince Xav suite? They’re different, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know. It was the Prince Xav suite I…er…visited. Shall we take a look, my lord?”

Miles was just thankful they’d been saved a huge chore. He waved his arm. “Lead on, ladies.”

The Price Xav suite lay to the left at the top of the stairs, but they ascended another flight and turned right. The Royal Suite was a very grand affair indeed, and there, over the old-fashioned fireplace was a portrait done in oils. It was definitely the same man. Tuomonen scanned it and checked behind it. Miles saw his shoulders stiffen. _Danger?_ Surely not. The place had been scanned thoroughly. Something, though. Tuomonen snapped on some gloves before lifting the portrait down from the wall. The others gasped with excitement when they realised there was a large data folder attached to the back of the frame.

Jenna squeaked. “How exciting! No wonder you love your work, Lauri, if stuff like this happens. What do you think it is?”

Tuomonen looked round and found a large towel to throw over the portrait. “I hate to burst your bubble, but this is going to be classified way over your head, Jenna, and even mine perhaps. It could just turn out to be a laundry list. It has to be checked for prints and DNA and all manner of things. Sorry.”

“Oh…you…party pooper! It could be a treasure map!”

Miles didn’t want to burst her bubble. It could well be indeed, just as it could well be proof of treason. Besides, he wanted to keep on Jenna’s good side. He wanted to sleep here tonight. “I’ll promise you this, Jenna, if it _is_ a treasure map you can help us find it, but right now we need to get this back to the office. I’ll leave you Harrison, and send a squad to move that table.”

“Oh, be like that, then.” She was smiling, though. “We’ll put you in the Prince Xav suite tonight. I don’t know that the kitchens will stretch to dinner, though. Breakfast, yes.”

“Thank you. Prince Xav was my great grandfather. It seems appropriate.”

“Oh, I didn’t realise that. We should make it the Royal suite, then, shouldn’t we, if you’re related to the emperor?”

Tuomonen took her by the elbow and ushered her to the door. “I’ll explain it to you later. The Prince Xav suite will be fine. Pym will have the second bedroom and there’ll be an around the clock ImpSec guard. Lieutenant Paxton will be guard commander. You remember him, don’t you?”

Jenna took the hint. “I can spot a brush off when I see one. I’ll go and start the ball rolling, and _you_ can come back after work and take the children home. _Can’t_ he, my Lord Auditor?”

Miles was really beginning to enjoy Jenna Tuomonen. She reminded him of Laisa, and not just the Komarran link. “Ma’am, yes ma’am. I’ll send him home at 1700 hours, unless you’d like him earlier?”

“No, that suits. I’ll see you later then, both of you. Come on, Lindy, we have _work_ to do.”

Tuomonen looked at the empty doorway. “She doesn’t mean any disrespect, my lord. It’s just—“

Miles interrupted. “Don’t worry about it. She’s like a breath of fresh air. Now what do you think? We take this back to the office and ImpSec the hell out of it? I want to find out what it is, too.”


	15. I don't have any pyjamas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles gets an unexpected recall.

Lauri called ahead and by the time they returned to the ImpSec building the lab tech had scrambled into action. They spent the next hour running every test known to man on the picture and envelope. The picture was linen canvas with normal oil paint and the envelope was calf vellum, an extremely expensive item Lauri knew about but had never seen before except in a museum. It was attached with a simple animal-based glue, probably horse, according to the DNA scanner. There was no human DNA on the back of the canvas or on the envelope. On the front of the picture there was a layer of prints about five thick, probably added to every time the frame had been dusted over the past seventy years, give or take. They all had to be sorted out and recorded. They weren’t lucky enough to find any matches. That would have been too easy.

There was no exact match for the image, either. The closest probabilities were indeed the Vortaine family. It was looking more and more likely to be the present count’s father, or an uncle, perhaps. The Lord Auditor ran a trace on the Vortaines while Lauri and his tech were busy. He came up with something new.

“This is interesting, and I’d forgotten it if I ever knew it. Count Vortaine was a younger son. His brother died young, before he was married. _How_ seems to be a bit of a mystery, unless—” He tapped another query into his computer. “It was well before the Pretender’s war. Scratch that idea. Hmm.” He tapped again. “Oh.”

Lauri’s attention was caught by his suddenly thoughtful tone. “You’ve found something, my lord?”

“No wonder it’s never mentioned. The poor sod had a lethal mutation, by the looks of things. Sixty odd years ago medical treatment would still have been pretty rudimentary. It sounds like he had haemophilia, reading between the lines. The present count’s mother was a second wife, too. That tells its own tale. I wonder what the first countess died of.” He was off again, searching data bases. “Broken neck after a fall, how convenient, during Yuri’s war. _And_ it was here in Vandeville. I had no idea the war reached Vandeville. In fact, I’m sure it didn’t. Perhaps she was keeping out of trouble.”

Lauri was more cynical. “Perhaps she’d been put away. Were they divorced? Is there a date for the second marriage?”

“Good question, well asked. Let me check.” There was silence for a few moments until Lord Vorkosigan whistled under his breath. “The plot thickens. Old Count Vortaine was married for the second time two years before his first wife died. None of this is on the public records.”

“You’d better keep looking for a divorce, sir. I don’t want to be the one to tell Count Vortaine he’s a bastard, do you?” _Even if we all know it_.

“I’d take great pleasure in it, but this is political. We’ll certainly have to tell the emperor, and see what we can find in the archives at Vorhartung. Professora Vorthys might know. I can foresee us needing every advantage we can get, dealing with Count Vortaine.”

Lauri thought some more. “Does it say where she died, my lord? Not in a fall from a tower, or anything like that?”

Lord Vorkosigan looked up in instant realisation. “You think she was thrown off the tower at Vortaine’s place?”

“It would seem to be traditional, among the Vor. Maybe I’m being too harsh. Perhaps she wasn’t murdered. What if she fell, trying to escape?”

They were both thinking of young Dono, he knew. He hadn’t seen it, but the reports were graphic enough. Lord Vorkosigan had been there though.

“I wondered what that dungeon had been built for. We’ll never know for sure, of course.”

They ran out of tests to do, eventually. It was time to open the package. The lab tech was doomed to eternal curiosity. Lauri dismissed him. “Please step outside.”

Lord Vorkosigan sited a vid recorder and punched through a contact number. It took a second, but the link went live. He gave Lauri the nod to proceed. Lauri took a deep breath. “So…laundry list, treasure map, or…?”

Neither of them had expected a treaty, complete with Yuri’s seal and signature. Lord Vorkosigan’s voice broke the stunned silence. “Are you seeing, this, Sire?”

Wait, _what?_ The emperor was watching them? Lauri instantly regretted his crack about laundry lists.

The emperor’s voice held a faint note of incredulity. “I am. Who is the other signature? I can’t quite make it out.”

Lauri could see. He could see very well. The implications of this were going to be _enormous_. “Sire, there’s not just one signature here.” He tilted the vellum a little towards the vid camera. “The principal signature is Vortaine but the other signatures match the Districts on the map we found: Vortaine has the Capital District, then there’s Vormurtos, Vortorren, Vortrifrani, Vorwyn and Vordarian.” He scanned the document as quickly as he could, given the old script and the flowery language used. ”It would appear that Emperor Yuri signed away the South Continent in return for military and logistical support.”

Lord Vorkosigan found his voice at last. “But they were there at the Dismemberment! They all took a turn. Maybe not Vortorren, but the rest, certainly. Vortrifrani is still alive, and Vormurtos.”

Lauri knew what they’d done. “They turned on him when it was hopeless. They wanted to hide their involvement and hoped Ezar never found out. I wonder if he did?”

Emperor Gregor didn’t disagree with his assessment. “There were so many records destroyed in the aftermath of the Pretendership it will be hard to find out. I’ll get Guy onto it. Miles, I want that treaty here, today. Captain Tuomonen, I Request and Require you to destroy any and all recordings of this session. Do it now, please. We don’t even _have_ a level for this classification. I rely on your discretion.”

“At your command, Sire.”

“You’ll have to hold the fort until I send my Auditor back to you. What help do you need?”

A marriage counsellor, probably, when Jenna found out the Lord Auditor wouldn’t be staying the night after all, but it would give her a day or two’s grace to have the club in top form. “The team already here should be sufficient, Sire. It’s more a question of analysis now, rather than further investigation.”

“Very well, ask for help if you need it. How quickly can you get here, Miles?”

“Four hours? Five at the most, Sire.”

“I’ll let you get on.”

The link blinked off. Lauri returned the treaty to its envelope and locked it into a secured data case. He gave the code to Lord Vorkosigan although he wouldn’t really need it. His seal would open anything. The man was eager to be off. “Give my apologies to your good wife. I’ll move in when I return. There’s nothing much to be done here once I’ve gone, so take the rest of the afternoon off. Tomorrow you can start looking at those ledgers.”

Lauri organised the transport while Pym hurried off to grab some mysterious case from the Lord Auditor’s belongings. He looked concerned about something, Lauri could see. There was a cryptic exchange between the two of them that he caught the end of as he came back to tell them the cruiser and escort to take them to the flyerport was waiting.

Pym sounded anxious. “Don’t leave it too long, my lord.”

Lord Vorkosigan waved off his concern. “There’s plenty of time before it becomes critical.”

Pym’s expression as he followed him to the lift tube spoke volumes.

Lauri accompanied them to the flyerport. He wanted to see for himself that the Lord Auditor got away safely. All civilian traffic was grounded until the squad of stingers scrambled from Tanery Base could rendezvous with the Imperial courier. There’d be a few dark looks and muttered curses from the pilots of the commercial traffic that was obliged to wait. It felt to Lauri like he didn’t take a proper breath until Lord Vorkosigan was safely on his way and news of the rendezvous was called through.

 _Phew_. He sat back in the cruiser on the way back to the town centre and took off his cap to wipe his brow. Better get the next job over with. “Drop me at the Imperial Club.”

Jenna looked right at home behind the reception desk at the Imperial Club. Her face broke into the beautiful smile he loved so much when she looked up from talking to Lindy and saw who had just entered.

“Lauri! Is it that time already?” She glanced at her chrono. “It’s only 1530. What’s happened? What’s wrong? Don’t tell me it really was a treasure map.”

He couldn’t help but smile back. “Unfortunately not, and we need to forget we ever saw anything in that room, on pain of…er…pain. Mademoiselle Leclerq that’s an official _Request and Require_ from Imperial Security. Do you understand what that entails?”

She was quite serious. “Yes, of course, Captain. I won’t say a thing. I can’t afford to be a gossip if I want to clear my name.”

Lauri liked her attitude. “There isn’t any negative notation on your official file. You did nothing wrong.”

“Everybody in that whole building did something wrong, even if it was only turning a blind eye. I realise now I should have come to you straight away, but…”

“But you wanted to keep your job, of course. Next time, and I’m sure there’ll be a next time, all you need do is remember your loyalty is to your emperor. If the situation conflicts with that, report it.”

“I will. I’m so very grateful to be given this second chance, and I really wanted to tell you how glad I was when the Lord Auditor arrived the way he did. Some of those pompous pen pushers deserved everything they’ve got coming to them.”

Jenna looked over his shoulder. “Where _is_ Lord Vorkosigan? You’ve been sticking to him like glue. Is he packing, or something?” She saw his face. “He’s not coming, is he?”

“The emperor has recalled him. I’ve just seen him off at the shuttleport.”

“What, after all the trouble we’ve taken? He’s going to get the bill.”

“You can’t do that!” The minute the words left his mouth he realised it was the wrong thing to say.

“Oh, I can’t, can I? You just come with me, Mister ImpSec Captain!” She surged out around the side of the counter and just about dragged him off to the stairs. She called out over her shoulder. “Lindy, let me know if Riika or Jukka need anything. I won’t be long.”

Jenna was slightly out of breath when they reached the Prince Xav suite. She used a staff override to open the door. “Look!”

There was a beautiful display of fresh flowers on the console table in the entryway, and another on the dining table by the window. A basket of fresh fruit graced the bar, along with a bottle of champagne chilling away in an ice bucket. “The champagne we can recycle, but not the flowers or the fruit.”

“It all looks wonderful.” Lauri peeped into the main bedroom. There was a fluffy robe laid across the foot of the bed and a pair of towelling slippers neatly arranged beside it, together with enormous fluffy towels in the ensuite bathroom, and an amenity basket fit for the emperor, never mind one of his Auditors. “It seems a bit of a shame to let it all go to waste, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. It—wait just a minute. Are you implying something here?”

He came back out of the bedroom and slid his arms round her waist. “We’ll, we’re here, and the room’s here. What do you say? Want to do a road test?”

“What about Riika and Jukka?”

She was weakening. He took off his cap and tossed it onto the sofa so that he could tip his head down to rest his forehead against hers. He drew her a little closer. “There’s a second bedroom. Riika will love it. I’m sure the hotel will run to a very respectable cot. The management would have seen to that.” He shifted slightly to nibble at her ear. “There’s only one problem I can see.”

She stretched her neck, an invitation for him to run the tip of his tongue down it. Her voice sounded constrained. “Oh, what’s that?”

“I don’t have any pyjamas.”

She thought about that for a few moments. “Oh, that’s bad. We might have to snuggle up to keep warm, because I don’t have any, either.”

Lindy Leclerq didn’t say a word when they finally arrived back in the foyer. Riika was with her, and she squealed when she saw her father. “Da! Da! Ma is going to work here. She’s going to be the manager. It’s so neat! There’s a huge vid screen and I’ve been watching Tristram the Trusty. Jukka spewed up a little bit, but I remembered about the cloth for my shoulder.”

 _Tristram the Trusty_ was an animated series about Emperor Dorca’s favourite horse. For some unfathomable reason Riika absolutely loved it. There wouldn’t have been a peep out of her while that was on. It wasn’t a good idea to use a vid as a baby sitter but once in a while it didn’t hurt.

“Is Jukka asleep?”

“No, he’s playing with his toes. He can put his toe right inside his mouth, Da. He’s so clever.”

Lauri ruffled her hair. “I remember when _you_ did that. Would you like to stay here tonight, for a treat?”

“ _Really_?

“Really.”

“That’s _neat_ , Da.” Riika dashed off. “Jukka, Jukka, we’re going to stay _here_ tonight.”

Lindy laughed out loud. “I don’t suppose Jukka understands the treat he’s in for. He’s such a cute baby when he’s awake. We can rustle up some food for Riika here, now that we’ve got a cook back on duty. Why don’t you two go out for dinner? I’m happy to look after them. I’ll get a cot sent up to the Prince Xav suite, shall I?”

The offer was unexpected, but very kind. If it was OK with Jenna it was more than OK with him. Jenna gave Lindy a hug. “I only met you today. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I am, and you can stay as late as you like, because _I_ am going to try out the Blue room tonight. We’ll all be under the same roof with an armed guard on the front and back doors. I might even see what that cute trooper Harrison gets up to after duty.”

Harrison’s little black book was getting a good workout. It remained to be seen whether or not the bed in the Blue room got a good workout, too. Lauri pulled himself up. It was none of his business what his troopers got up to off duty as long as it wasn’t a security problem. Harrison was a very lucky man.

Riika dashed back. She looked upset. “I just remembered. I don’t have any pyjamas, Da.”

 _A common problem._ Lindy answered before he had a chance to say anything. “Don’t you worry about a little thing like that, Riika. This is the Emperor’s Galactic Club now. We can organise anything for you.”

Lauri retired to the committee room with Riika and Jukka to make a start on the ledgers. It took him a good hour to stop wondering where the Lord Auditor had got to. The man was such a dynamo. He never stopped for a second, and his wits were razor sharp, too. His military record said courier duty but that was patently false. He’d been creating chaos across the galaxy, no doubt, since there was nothing startling on record about him here on Barrayar and his list of awards and commendations was as long as his arm. He’d never met anyone like him. There was certainly never a dull moment where the Lord Auditor was concerned.

Thankfully the ledgers were filed in chronological order. There wasn’t a spec of dust anywhere. The ledgers were all very well taken care of. The financial records were very dull, but the old fashioned desk registers were much more interesting. On a hunch he flipped back seven decades, to the time of Yuri’s Civil War. Many of the names he didn’t recognise, but there were many he did. Lord Vorkosigan was going to be very interested. He marked the ledger and went looking for more. There didn’t appear to be any books of minutes, but, lying on its side on one of the top shelves, not easily visible from below, he found an old album dating back to the construction of the hotel. Well, now, here was something.

Lauri slowly turned the pages. It was like some elaborate zoetrope. If he flicked through the pages fast enough it actually looked like the building was growing week by week. Towards the end, there was a separate section, marking the building of the fountain in the town square. The statue wasn’t installed when it was first opened. It all looked very …rural.

The final picture riveted his attention. It had been taken in a foundry. Even as his jaw dropped his mind was trying to analyse _which_ factory. It wasn’t Yuri’s face that had been removed. It was Count Vortaine’s.

Jukka had been grizzling for some time, but now he let out a wail. He needed changing and he wanted his dinner. _Now_ , please. Perforce, Lauri had to close the book, but his mind was working furiously all the while he tended to his son. He’d already worked out that there were no foundries in Vandeville. The statue _had_ to have been cast in Vortaine’s District. The plan had been very well advanced. It wasn’t just some pipe dream and the cover-up must have been spectacular.


	16. Yuri's seal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Information comes from an unexpected source.

Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan was tired and irritated. The sun crept low on the horizon as his flyer entered controlled air space around Vorbarr Sultana. At least it was one of the best perks of the job to be slotted like this into the emergency level and vectored directly to the landing pad at The Residence. The data case was still shackled to his wrist. It had practically burned a hole in the seat beside him all the way from Vandeville.

Pym straightened his tunic and swiftly ran a comb through his hair before he moved two steps from the vehicle. All he needed was for his armsman to spit on a hanky and wipe his face for him. He was about to snarl, but no, Pym didn’t deserve his bad temper.

“Do you want to get off home, now, Pym, and see Ma Pym? You deserve a break. Roic can come and fetch me once the emperor’s done.”

Pym shook his head. “I’ll stay, my lord. I have your stimulator, don’t forget. We can’t risk it being misplaced, or you missing using it.”

The irritation exploded. “I’m _not_ ten years old, Pym. I’ve learned my lesson. Stop nagging.”

The atmosphere cooled just a little. “Very well, sir. I beg your pardon.” Pym didn’t look _mortally_ offended, and he made no move to go home but Miles regretted what he’d just said the minute it came out of his mouth.

“Sorry, Pym,” he muttered as they followed an aide-de-camp through the corridors to Gregor’s office. Pym left him at the door and settled in to wait in the reception area. There were several people in the room. Gregor, of course, looking his usual self except he was in semi-formal mode, dressed in a Vorbarra House uniform. He must have been at some function earlier in the day. Guy Allegre was there in his dress greens, as well as Lord Auditor Vorthys and his wife the professora. Georg looked as rumpled as he ever did although Helen wore her best rose and green traditional outfit. _She’d_ dressed up for the audience. Of course he should have expected Aunt Helen to be there. She would have an intense interest in the document he carried.

Gregor strode forward to shake his hand. “Miles! You made good time. Come and sit down and we’ll get you something to eat and drink. It’s a long way from Vandeville. You know everyone, of course. Georg is familiar with the South continent, as his sister lived there when this must have been happening and it would be more than my life is worth to exclude Helen from a historical moment such as this. I’m sure she’ll have valuable insight.”

They waited while Gerard brought in plates of sandwiches and coffee, as well as a box of examination gloves. Miles drank a coffee gratefully but he declined the food; he was far too keyed up to eat. He unlocked the shackle and opened the data case before he snapped on a pair of gloves. Helen Vorthys produced an archival cloth to cover part of the low table and Miles gently laid the envelope on it. There was a concerted intake of breath and five heads all bent in to take a better look. There was nothing much to see, however, until Miles slid the document from its envelope.

“My word. To think I’ve been privileged to see this.” Helen leaned forwards to examine Yuri’s seal and read the elaborate script. It was sealed and dated about nine months before Yuri met his grisly fate. “It’s quite unequivocal. Yuri created an Empire in the South, with six Districts and Vortaine as the new emperor. He also granted him the right to create more.”

Miles was indignant on Gregor’s behalf. “He really was mad. What did _he_ get out of the deal?”

Gregor knew. “Vortaine’s District lies immediately to the north of mine. He secured someone to guard the back door; someone he could trust, or thought he could. As for these others…Vordarian’s is obvious. Most of the munitions came from there, plus the spaceport.”

Helen broke in. “Vormurtos and Vorwyn . Districts either side of Vorkosigan’s. They’d be used to distract Piotr. I’ve been puzzled in the past about some of the border skirmishes at that time. They’ve always been written down as local land grabs, but that’s going to have to be looked at. Vorwyn’s District suffered terribly with fallout from Vashnoi and the inability to use the river for half a generation, don’t forget. There’s going to be some rewriting of history there. What else? Vortrifrani we know about. Even his son can’t lie straight in bed. They’ve always hated the Vorbarras.”

Guy Allegre had a terrible frown on his face. “That just leaves Vortorren. They’ve never had a District in recorded history. What were _they_ up to?”

Miles answered that one. “I think we know that, General. Yuri didn’t corner the market on lunacy. This is where the Vorlightly Roses come on the scene. They were trying to marry their way back to the Camp Stool. They’ve been trying for two hundred years. I think if we look hard enough we’ll find that Vortorren had money, along with Vordarian, of course.”

Helen Vorthys straightened up again. “Vorlightly Roses? Ah, now I know why you asked me those questions.” She tapped her cheek with one finger, thinking hard. “The question is, of course, can we actually call this _treason_? Yuri _was_ the Emperor at the time and the Imperial Territories were his to dispose of as he saw fit.”

Gregor leapt to his feet, causing everyone else to do the same until he motioned them down again. He started pacing.“The treason was Yuri’s, to his people. Prince Xav _must_ have known about this. Count Piotr always said he had to swallow his pride and deal with the Devil. What was it, I wonder? An amnesty? A full pardon? It’s going to take some digging. It’s going to take _years_ of digging in the archives.”

Miles was trying to process it, too. “Count Piotr may have known something. I don’t think my father was aware of this, though. Who else? Perhaps—” he broke off.

“Perhaps what?” Gregor demanded. “Come on, Miles, give. What are you thinking?”

“Perhaps Count Vorhalas would know. He was Lord Vorhalas then, but his father was already ill. He was his voting deputy and everything but count in name.”

“Someone has to go and ask him. I don’t want to drag him over here at this short notice.”

 _Someone_. Someone who did the emperor’s dirty work for him. A Lord Auditor, of course. Miles didn’t like that idea one bit. “Me, go to Vorhalas House, into the lion’s den? I’ve never set foot there in my life.”

Gregor was ruthless. “There’s always a first time. I’ll call ahead and tell him to expect you. Anyone else have any ideas, before we all start trawling the Imperial Archives?”

General Allegre still had that look on his face. “There’s the question of what you want to do about it, Sire.”

“On the face of it, Helen is right. From the date on this it’s not actually treason. If the scheme was abandoned before the amnesty I’ll do nothing bar consign it to history and some grad student’s PhD thesis. If things went on after Ezar seized the Camp Stool that’s a different matter.”

That didn’t satisfy the general at all. “I think we need search warrants for Vortaine, Vortrifrani, Vormurtos and Vorwyn. There must be documents in their archives.”

Gregor raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps not just yet. No word of it has got out, has it, Miles? I judge Captain Tuomonen to be sound, don’t you?”

“Sound as a bell, sire. There’ll be no leaks from Vandeville. I’m sure of that. We can afford to wait.”

Gregor made a decision. “Very well then. Let’s wait and see what happens. Professora Vorthys, I consign this document to your care, to be stored safely at Vorhartung.”

Helen was itching to get her hands on it. “I’ll go straight there. Georg can take me and bluff his way past the guards. No one will ask to search _him_. By your leave, Sire?”

She tenderly placed the treaty back into its envelope and case and backed towards the door. Georg bowed his way out and followed her.

“Sire, I must protest!” It was Guy Allegre’s favourite saying, but he was overruled yet again.

“No, no searches, Guy. You can put them all under close observation and see who’s still meeting who, but we don’t want to put four conservative counts off side if we can help it. There’s the finance bill coming up.”

There was always some bill or other coming up. Nothing was ever separate from the politics where the counts were concerned. Miles would have liked a search warrant, or three or four, but he could see Gregor’s point, too. “I’ll be off to Vorhalas House, then, Sire. Anything you can do to ease the path would be most appreciated.”

Pym fell in beside him as he left. “Roic should be at the West Portico with the ground car, my lord. It’s time we got you home.”

“I’m not going home, Pym. I’m going to Vorhalas House.”

Pym sighed, but he knew what visits to the emperor often meant. He raised an eyebrow at the destination. “ _Vorhalas_ House, my lord? I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”

“You know perfectly well you haven’t and neither have I. I’ll need my chain and seal on for this. Dig ‘em out, would you? I hope they get me past the front door.”

 _Vorhalas House._ A single armsman ushered them in and directed Pym to a bench near the front door, standard protocol for visiting armsmen who weren’t privileged enough to be entertained in the kitchen. He was allowed to keep his stunner, thank goodness. There might have been a bit of awkwardness if he’d been asked to surrender it. Miles glanced around, fascinated with his glimpse of the old place. It was a contemporary of Vorkosigan House and at first glance looked to have been designed by the same architect. The floor in the entry hall was wooden, not tiled, with a marquetry depiction of the Vorhalas arms in the centre. It was all he had a chance to see.

Count Vorhalas was all frozen propriety. Whatever Gregor had said to him had opened the door, but Vorhalas didn’t have to like it. Miles was ushered to what for all the world looked like a correction chair, unpadded and straight backed although it was low enough for him to sit in without his feet dangling. Probably some child has suffered in it in the past. Vorhalas didn’t call for any refreshments but Miles hadn’t expected any.

“It’s very good of you to see me, Count, and at such short notice, too. The matter _is_ urgent, otherwise I wouldn’t have troubled you at home.”

“I can count on one hand the times the emperor has asked me for a favour, my Lord Auditor. I realise whatever this is, it must be serious.”

He wasn’t about to say Vorkosigan, was he? Miles had to like the old man’s stubbornness. He came straight to the point. “It concerns an investigation I’m conducting in Vandeville, and a document found signed by Emperor Yuri.”

Vorhalas might be old, but there was nothing wrong with his intellect. “Vortaine is mixed up in it, isn’t he? I had him sitting where you are, not five hours ago, bleating about his nephew.”

“He is, sir, but this more closely involves his father.”

Vorhalas’ eyes narrowed. “Are we talking about the back-dated divorce, here? That was one of Yuri’s little pay for service schemes. He prostituted his seal and signature. Anything for money, towards the end. He was _desperately_ short of money when Ezar seized the gold reserve.”

So Vortaine _was_ a bastard. Tuomonen had been right. Vorhalas wasn’t finished though. “Millicent Vortorren brought a lethal mutation to her marriage, for all her mother’s claims about her blood. Vortaine wanted to strengthen his claims to Imperial blood but he was desperately disappointed. He thought it was a good idea at the time, the idiot. Millicent disappeared when her son died. Vortaine—“

“I beg your pardon, sir, but did you say Vortorren? The _Vortorrens_ have bad genes?”

“They keep it very nicely hidden. None of my business, of course. Where did you run across any Vortorrens? No, wait. Vandeville, of course. The family made itself scarce not long after Yuri’s war. The present Count Vortaine was his father’s choice as heir. _Your_ father may well remember the vote when he was confirmed. The younger brother challenged the choice as there was nothing smoky about his birth but Count’s choice prevailed.”

Yes, there would have been an estrangement after that. It explained how the nephew ended up in Vandeville, too. The old count must have left the unentailed land to the younger son. “I’ll look into it, sir, but it was actually another document of Yuri’s we discovered, concerning the South Continent.”

Vorhalas sat back in his chair and tented his fingers together. “So it’s true? Yuri sold it all off to that…cabal…? There were rumours, but there were so many rumours flying around at that time. No one with any sense was going to get near him to ask, of course. Vortaine dragged his father in law into some scheme or other. That I do know.”

Ah, _that_ was the Vortorren connection, of course. His involvement made sense now.

Vorhalas wasn’t finished. “Xav had to do some sweet talking to get them to change sides. It was the only way we could get to Vorhartung, where Yuri was holed up, to come in from the north. Vortaine allowed the Green Army passage in return for indemnity from prosecution. Xav went to his grave regretting Vortaine wasn’t chained up in the Great Square. He’d sworn fealty to Ezar before Yuri made him an offer he didn’t want to refuse. A lot of good men died because of him. Some of them were Vorhalas men. I actually thought it fitting that he named a bastard to succeed him. Like father, like son.”

It was a harsh condemnation from the normally tight-lipped count, who usually saved his opinions for the Council. There was one more question Miles had for him. “Do you think Ezar knew of it, Count?”

Vorhalas thought again. “Probably. No, certainly. I thought it strange at the time as it was so trivial when there were much more serious matters to deal with but there was a bill, early in his reign, maybe year two? Something to do with the Imperial Club down in Vandeville. They’d all holed up down there, until we flushed them out. The management was invested in a committee and they were forbidden to use the emperor’s name. _Any_ emperor’s name. I’ve never been there, myself, but the Emperor Yuri suite was renamed the Royal Suite, and the Empress Suite became the Prince Xav Suite. It’s funny, isn’t it, the things you remember? Xav thought it was hilarious, when he heard about it. _His_ was the only name allowed to be used. Ezar wanted to rub their noses in it, I think. That’s why _his_ statue is down there, in the square.” Vorhalas paused, remembering. “We consented to three death warrants in the same session. War criminals; Vortorren was one of them. Vortaine had the absolute gall to sit there, in the Council, and _vote_ to execute. That’s when the family disappeared from the capital.”

Miles stood up to take his leave. “I won’t keep you, sir. We can certainly find the minutes of that session in the archives. You’ve been a tremendous help, Count.” Vorhalas just nodded, but when Miles reached the door, he called out. “Vorkosigan!”

He’d called him by name. Wonders would never cease. Miles turned to see what he wanted.

“My compliments to your mother.”

Miles bowed. “Thank you, sir. I’ll certainly pass them on when next I talk to her."

“You have your mother’s eyes.”

“Yes, so I’ve been told. Goodnight, sir.” He left the old man to his thoughts.

Ekaterin was at the front door to meet him. Vorkosigan House had been his home for twenty five years, but sometimes homecomings had been bleak. Now, wherever she was, that would be home for him. Her beautiful eyes smiled a warm welcome, and a promise. _If only._ She swept him into a warm hug. There were no questions, or complaints, just that wonderful welcome. Miles sighed with content.

“Come and get changed. Ma Kosti is holding dinner for you.”

“I’ve missed Ma Kosti almost as much as I’ve missed you.” Miles tucked her arm through his own, not willing to let her go they climbed the spiral staircase to their suite. “I have to write a report for Gregor first, though.”

“No, you don’t, and you’re forbidden from turning on that com. You are going to have a shower and a meal before you do anything else. I can always tell when you haven’t eaten.”

“But—”

“No buts. The more you argue the longer it will take. Shoo.”

It did feel better to have a hot shower without his elbows banging on the walls to either side. Ekaterin had pyjamas and a robe waiting for him when he emerged. “We’re eating in here. Roic is bringing it up now. I’ve sent Pym home as Ma Pym isn’t very well. We had a doctor in to see her today. It’s not too serious but she’ll need some treatment. Pym left this for you.” She tapped on his stimulator case. “He’s worried about you.”

Miles slid into his seat at the table in the window alcove as Roic appeared at the door. They didn’t try to talk until his armsman had arranged the dishes to his own satisfaction and withdrawn. Miles savoured the aroma of chicken and asparagus soup. “It really is good to be home. My level is only at seventy per cent. Pym worries too much. There’s plenty of margin.”

“Eat your soup. After dinner you’ll use your stimulator.”

The soup tasted as good as it smelled. He paused after the first spoonful. “There’s a problem with that. I have to go back to Vandeville tomorrow. This is only a flying visit, literally. If I use the stimulator I’ll be a total washout for at least thirteen hours. You know that.”

“It can’t wait—“

“ _I_ can’t wait. I want to take my wonderful, desirable wife to bed. That bed, over there. I can’t do both. I’ll use the stimulator tomorrow night. I promise.”

“Miles…” Ekaterin tried to look stern, but she must have seen something in his eyes. A faint tinge of pink appeared in her cheeks. “Hurry up and eat.”


	17. Count Voralys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Lauri gets an unexpected call and Lord Auditor Vorkosigan returns.

Lauri Tuomonen woke up to the absolute luxury of a grav bed the size of his whole bedroom at home. Dawn had just started to break and he knew from experience that the birds which roosted in the trees outside would be making one hell of a racket round about now. There wasn’t a sound from the square; the soundproofing was just too good. He stretched, wallowing in the comfort.

“Good morning, handsome.”

His head snapped around. Jenna had been watching him as he slept, propped up on one elbow to gaze down on him. Her hair was deliciously rumpled, falling down across her shoulder to curl over her breast. He reached for her. He’d run his hands through that hair last night, and she had…

“Ma! Da! Where are you?”

Jenna rolled on to her back and pulled a pillow over her face to muffle a curse. Lauri sat up. “I’m here, Riika, I’m coming.” Jenna was still muttering something. She’d maybe say something she regretted if she went out there now. “You stay there. I’ll see to her.” The damage was done, though. Riika’s bewildered call from the strange bedroom had woken Jukka, too. He set up a wail at being so rudely disturbed.

Jenna pulled the pillow off her face again and threw it at the wall. “Happy Families.”

Lauri scrambled for the robe lying at the foot of the bed. He leaned over and gave Jenna a smacking kiss. “Last night was—”

“Da! Jukka’s crying! Where are you?”

“It’s OK honey. I’m right here.”

They had a delicious breakfast, creamy groats and spiced bread for Rikka and poached eggs with maple bacon for the adults. Jenna didn’t even complain about it being _real_ bacon. He’d convert her yet. She shooed him off for his workout at last with ten minutes to spare. The quick jog across the square was much more convenient than his usual commute so he was well on time. He was even there five minutes before his squad rolled in. The first few reps were OK, but he soon had plenty of reasons to regret his ample breakfast. Trooper Harrison wasn’t his usual keen as mustard self either. He looked like he hadn’t had much sleep.

Lauri pulled him up. “Harrison! Are you fit for duty, Trooper?”

Harrison kept his face straight. “Absolutely, sir. Never better. I didn’t have a drop to drink last night. I’m happy to do the sobriety test.”

It wasn’t alcohol he was worried about, it was exhaustion. Lauri let him off with a look, though. Harrison had put in above and beyond these past few days, after all, and things were more relaxed now.

Dressed in a crisp set of greens again Lauri planned to head right back to the Galactic Club to continue investigating the ledgers once he’d checked the morning coms. He hadn’t heard back from Lord Vorkosigan about the statue before he went to bed. Perhaps there was something now.

His in-box stretched half the length of his arm. What had been going on in Vorbarr Sultana last night? Neither General Allegre nor the night duty sergeant had alerted him to anything urgent, though. There was no need to panic just yet. Lauri stabbed his com. “Paxton? Come to my office, please. Bring the night shift report.”

He ran through the senders’ names, trying to triage them. The General, Lord Vorkosigan, custody reports, accountant’s reports, bills to countersign for fast-penta, inventory reports from the squad searching Vortaine’s estate, and one from Count Voralys. Count Voralys? He punched that one up while he waited for Paxton. It was fairly brief. Could Captain Tuomonen and Madame Tuomonen please contact the count on a personal matter at their earliest convenience?

What on three worlds did _Count Voralys_ want with him and Jenna? Had Lord Vorkosigan spoken to him about something? Did he have information for him from his mother, perhaps? But why would the count call it a personal matter and want to speak to Jenna if that was the case?

Lauri slipped it into the too hard basket as Paxton tapped on his door and came in with the news. The inventory reports were going to cause all sorts of dismay, and he was going to have to talk to that woman again. He called up the remand centre to have her brought over. Lost in his work, it was two hours later before he could get back across the square.

Jenna waved a hand at him. She was busy with something behind the reception desk. “Is the Lord Auditor coming back today? The Prince Xav Suite is ready to go again. Jukka didn’t vomit on anything. I’m so proud of him.”

“I just heard from him. He’s on his way. He might want a late lunch. I’m going out to the shuttleport to collect him at 1500.”

“We’ll be ready. I’m planning on moving those ledgers today, as we’re setting up for the crèche, or would you like to organise that?”

“I’d better do it. I don’t want anything to go missing. Before I do, though, Count Voralys wants to speak to us.”

“Count _Voralys_? We don’t know Count Voralys. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Have you got five minutes?” A vision of Count Vortaine pounding on the reception desk flashed into his head. “We could call him now. Counts don’t usually like to be kept waiting.”

“We can call him from my office. There’s a secure console in there.”

They were put through via an armsman in a gratifyingly short period of time. Lauri had seen Count Voralys in various vids and briefings, especially when he’d checked out what Major Karasavas had been up to, but this was the first time he’d spoken to him. “Good morning, My Lord Count. You wanted to speak to us?”

Count Voralys was very much the same age as them. Dark hair, flashing brown eyes and a firm chin; he was a very handsome man. Jenna had no doubt noticed. He looked to be good humoured, with a very charming smile he obviously liked to use. He was _nothing_ like Count Vortaine.

“Good morning, Captain, and Sera Tuomonen. May I introduce my wife, Valeraine?”

So he’d done his homework, or had someone do it for him, more like. He knew Jenna was Komarran. They nodded and exchanged greetings. It was all very civil. _He wanted something_. Lauri sat back. The count would tell them sooner or later. It was sooner.

“I’m not sure just how much you know about a family of refugees I’m currently hosting here in New Sheffield?”

Lauri immediately checked the security level on the link. The count had switched it to the highest level already so he wasn’t a stupid man. Jenna waited for him to answer. “Quite a bit, sir, my wife more than me. They’ve had a particularly rough time just lately. I’m very glad to hear they’ve reached safety.”

“We’re very happy to help. We’re particularly worried about the eldest child, a boy.”

Jenna did break in this time. “Oh, _Dono_. I’ve been so anxious for him. Is he not doing well?”

“We’ve got him lots of counselling lined up, but the immediate need is for some peer related support. He talks all the time about Riika, and playing at a water park. Would that be your daughter?”

“Yes, that’s right. They had a wonderful day. Riika was full of the mischief they got up to with _Uncle Byerly_ and your armsman. We’re old friends with Enzo.”

The count’s face cracked up into a broad, flashing smile. “I would have given good money to see Byerly Vorrutyer at a water park! We have our own daughter, Marie, much the same age, but her interests are pink, art and riding her pony. She’s very good with him, but Dono seems to be missing Riika. I wonder if you’d consider allowing her to come and visit for a little while? She’d be as well taken care of as Marie is. We have a dedicated armsman and Devaux is also on special duty at the moment. Would you think about it?”

Lauri needed to say something. “She’s only six, my lord. She’s never been away from home before. I don’t think—”

Jenna broke in on him. “Why don’t we see what Riika thinks of the idea? We’re both of us up to our necks in work here, and with the holidays it’s very boring for her, being on her own. She might _want_ to see Dono again.”

The count was quick to press his advantage. “If it’s not a straight _no_ I propose we come over to Vandeville. Raine was born there; Vorrutyer is redecorating her mother’s house and we’d like to see how things are progressing. I’ll bring Devaux. You can meet Marie and check us out at the same time. Lord Vorkosigan might be persuaded to give me a character reference, too, if he’s there. If Riika does want to come to visit we can take her back with us. If things don’t work out we’d send her right back home again with Devaux, or I’d bring her myself if you preferred that. She’d only be two hours away.”

It looked like he’d learned persuasion from the same school as the Lord Auditor had. It was going to be impossible to refuse. The count saw him wavering.

“Why don’t the both of you come over for the weekend? We can put you up. You can see how Marie is doing and meet our Betan tag team who are helping look after our guests. They’re identical twins and married to two of my armsmen. I think you’ll like them very much, Sera, and ImpSec surely has to give you _some_ time off, Captain. Even if it’s only for the day.”

Jenna cocked her head at him, waiting for permission. He didn’t really have any objections, only that Riika was so young. His wife would know best if she could handle it. He shrugged. “It’s up to you, Jenna.”

She smiled at the count. “Please call me Jenna, sir. I’d very much like to meet you before we finally decide but I think Riika would have fun and we could stop worrying about her for a few days. When were you thinking of coming?”

“I thought tomorrow? Dono really needs the companionship.”

“Very well. Come for lunch at the Galactic Club. We can meet here.”

The countess looked puzzled at that one. “Galactic Club? I haven’t heard of it. Is it new?”

“It was formerly the Imperial Club, on the main square. The emperor has decided on a name change.”

“Oh, I _see._ Yes, that would be excellent. We’ll take a look at the house and meet you at, say, 1300? Would that suit?”

“Perfect. We’ll see you tomorrow, my lord count, my lady.”

Their images faded. Jenna turned to look at him. “Well, did you _ever_?”

Lauri wasn’t particularly happy about it. “I give him full marks for caring so much about the boy, but Riika’s so little.”

She punched him in the shoulder. “Oh, listen to you, Poppa Bear! She needs to spread her wings. I was going to sleepovers at her age. We’ll just ask her, shall we?”

His baby girl was growing up. There was a twinge of sorrow about it all but he had to get back to work. He wanted things in order before Lord Vorkosigan returned. It looked like he wasn’t going to win this one. He sighed. “OK. Let’s do that.”

Lord Vorkosigan looked tired, Lauri thought. His face was drawn and his eyes were shadowed. The man ran on pure adrenalin most of the time. He was going to burn himself out if he wasn’t a lot more careful. There was a different armsman with him, one so huge Lauri had to look twice. He was much younger than Pym, but seemed just as competent as his older comrade. The Lord Auditor introduced him.

”This is Roic, Captain Tuomonen. Ma Pym isn’t too well just now so I’ve left Pym at home to catch up on some of his long overdue leave. So, what have you got for me?”

Didn’t he ever think about himself? “First thing on the agenda is some lunch for you, my lord. If you prefer I can brief you while we eat. I’ve had some preliminary reports on the stored munitions that are somewhat alarming. Some of them are less than two years old.”

“What?” Vorkosigan came to sharp attention at that. “You mean the stash from Yuri’s war has been updated?”  
“That’s exactly what I mean, my lord, and very recently, too. Also, the search parties finally found a small cache of recent weapons at the Vortaine Estate. They were under the vats in the winery, about half a kilometre from the main house. Some of the serial numbers are very closely related.”

“I want to see your reports. We’ll go straight to ImpSec.”

Lauri was annoyed at himself. He shouldn’t have said anything until the man had eaten. “I’ll have some sandwiches brought in, then. You need to eat something, sir, surely?”

“Later, Tuomonen. We have work to do.”

Lauri managed to send a quick message to Jenna not to keep lunch before they plunged into the new twist. Lord Vorkosigan was not a happy man as he skimmed through the reports. “The emperor was prepared to consign the _Emperor in the South_ to history as Yuri was technically still emperor when he put his seal on that document. But now, that’s treason, pure and simple. How did ImpSec get blindsided like this? Where did Vortaine get them from, and how did he find out about the other munitions? His uncle wouldn’t have told him. The last thing he wanted was to see Gervaise Vortaine with any power. Agatha Vortorren, I would think? We’ll have to interview her again. See where _she_ got them from.”

Lauri was ahead of him. “I’ve already done that, sir. It’s as we thought. The person _you_ need to interview is Richars Vorrutyer. He had a contact in Jackson’s Whole, apparently. The shipments came in through the spaceport in Vorrutyer District.”

“ _Richars Vorrutyer!_ I might have guessed. Dono’s going to really love this little wrinkle when he gets to hear about it. Richars must have been taking advantage of Count Pierre’s illness to slip things through. It’s just the sort of thing he _would_ do. I’ll go up to the penitentiary. Arrange for a shuttle, please.”

“Tomorrow will do, sir. We’ll have to get a pilot and shuttle in from Headquarters, and he’ll have run out of hours by the time he gets here. He’ll need a good night’s sleep, and so will you.”

Lord Vorkosigan snapped at him. “What are you, Tuomonen? My nurse? I have a wife and three armsmen and a cousin and an aunt all nagging me. I certainly don’t need you, too.”

Lauri let the anger flow past him. “You did on Komarr, my lord.”

Lord Vorkosigan’s eyes narrowed. “You play dirty, Tuomonen.”

“If it makes any difference your cousin is arriving tomorrow, my lord. There’s a problem with young Dono, apparently. He wants my daughter to go and stay with him for a few days.”

“Ivan’s coming here?”

“Yes, sir, and the countess, too. They’re having lunch at the club. He might have some more information. There’ll be plenty of time for the orbital shuttle after that.”

Lord Vorkosigan looked like he wanted to argue again. Something flickered in his eyes. Whatever it was made him change his mind. He reluctantly assented. “Oh, very well. I could do with a night’s sleep. Let’s go to the Galactic Club.”

Did his armsman just relax, ever so slightly? Roic seemed to be watching Lord Vorkosigan like a hawk. Perhaps it was just his normal anxiety at being the Auditor’s body guard, but he must be more than competent to have sole care of him. Lauri was missing something here. He didn’t like that idea one bit. He called for Sergeant Tolya and his squad to escort them across the square, all the time trying to work out what the hell was going on.

Jenna had her professional smile on her face. This was her first test, although she’d told him the place ran itself, just about, as the staff who’d managed to avoid the emperor’s displeasure were all highly trained. Lindy Leclerq was there too, neatly dressed in basic black. It wasn’t very welcoming to be looking like a funeral. Perhaps he could suggest Jenna should organise a new uniform to go with the makeover. He’d have to phrase it the right way, though. He didn’t want her to think he was interfering.

Roic followed the two of them in, his oversized frame dwarfing the two small suitcases he carried. Lauri approved of the way he carried them, one in his left hand and one under his left arm. It was a nice touch. He still had his stunner hand free. Lord Vorkosigan carried his own high security data case himself. He wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. Lauri knew, as he’d offered and been given a very short negative reply.

Jenna acknowledged her husband with a nod but turned to Lord Vorkosigan. “Welcome to the Galactic Club, my lord. If you’d like to follow me we’ll get you settled in. Do you prefer the lift tube?”

“The stairs are fine, thanks.” He waited for Jenna to proceed. Roic followed after her to check the suite with Lauri bringing up the rear. Lord Vorkosigan marched off after his armsman with his shoulders set and a frown on his face. He did _not_ like delays, did he? The suite looked immaculate once more, with no fingerprints at a six year old’s height, or any sign that the bed had been well and truly rumpled the night before.

Lord Vorkosigan glanced around. “This looks very comfortable. Thank—”

Before he could finish his sentence his eyes rolled back into his head. Lauri leapt forward, just in time to catch him as he toppled. Jenna gasped in horror. The cases Roic still clutched went flying as he, too, raced in to help.

Despite all his care, had someone managed to assassinate Lord Vorkosigan?


	18. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles wakes up.

Miles thought, for just a moment, that he was lying in the grav bed in Ekaterin’s Komarran apartment. His body was cocooned in the comfort and warmth he remembered. It _was_ just for a moment. His head hurt like a bitch. It was a grav bed, yes, but no, Ekaterin’s apartment was years ago and light years away. Ekaterin herself was a continent away, and he was going to be in deep, deep shit with her when she found out. The shit wouldn’t stop with her, either. Roic was going to have a piece of him, and, oh, gods, what was _Pym_ going to say? He whimpered at the very thought.

There was a cool compress on his head. Roic would never have done that. It wasn’t Roic’s voice, either, when someone turned it over to put the cooler side next to his skin. He tried to open his eyes to see, managing to get one flickering eyelid to move. “Sera Tuomonen?”

“Shh. It's Jenna, remember? Just lie still. It can’t be pleasant inside your head right now.”

He was more than happy to obey. “Roic told you?”

“We could see for ourselves. Lauri thought someone had killed you, until he remembered one of his reports about something similar happening on Komarr. He’d thought that was just a one-off, a collapse or something that happened to you after an accident, but it’s not, is it, you poor man?”

He whimpered again. Roic’s rough and ready care he could deal with. Jenna’s sympathy was going to have him bawling like a baby. “Where’s Roic?”

“He’ll be right back. He’s using the secure com to report to your wife, and after that he’s going to talk to the emperor, he said.”

“Oh…” He’d forgotten _that_ shit storm. It was going to be worse that all the rest.

“Lauri caught you and laid you on the bed. He’s making sure no one else knows, and no one else is going to know. What is it you say? I give you my name’s word as Tuomonen on that one, if a woman’s word counts for anything on this planet, which I doubt. It’s nobody else’s business. Why don’t you try and sleep? Roic’s left some medication here for you. Do you think you can swallow it if I help you? Take it slowly.”

She tilted up the bed so he didn’t choke himself with the pills and held the glass so he could sip the electrolyte solution he hated with a passion. “Oh, blergh.”

“Here comes Roic. He’s going to sit with you tonight. Lauri will be in to spell him in a little while. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m going to speak to Lady Vorkosigan now. She’s probably got lots of questions.”

 _Don’t worry?_ He’d let everybody down, including Gregor. No, nothing to worry about here. Move right along. “Wait, what?” She was going to talk to _Ekaterin!_ No, please no. He tried opening his eyes again. It was too late, she was gone and it was a worried armsman looming over him instead. He groaned. It was all he needed.

Something was cold. Something was very, very cold, trickling down the back of his neck. He’d been fast asleep, lying on his side curled up like a foetus and dreaming that the world had gone away. He knew exactly what it was. “Ivan, you have a death wish. Do you know that?”

The cheery voice made him wince. “Come on, coz, the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful day. Up and at ’em. The bad guys aren’t going to wait for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Fuck off.”

“Not likely, Mr Sweetness and Light. Ekaterin sent me.”

That made him roll over to look at his cousin properly. Ivan had an ice bucket in his hand and an evil look on his face. “Don’t you even think about it.”

Ivan rattled the ice in the bucket. “What was that you said?”

He _was_ thinking about it. Miles sat up. His head was still pulsing with pain but the smell of hot coffee reached his nostrils. “What time is it?”

“0900. We decided to divide and conquer. By flew down overnight to go to the house with Raine, and I came here to see you.” Ivan’s act disappeared in a flash. “We were _worried_ about you, Miles. You can’t keep doing this to yourself. I have a threat to deliver from Gregor, if you’re ready to hear it.”

“Hand me that coffee first.” Miles took a sip, and then a mouthful of the blessedly hot liquid. “OK, I’m ready for the worst. What did he say?”

“I’ll quote verbatim. “Please tell Miles I prefer a live cousin to a dead Auditor. If _We_ have to revoke his authority, We _will_.” He used the Imperial plural _with_ the capital letter. We all heard it. No shit. He’s deadly serious, Miles. He wants your name’s word.”

Coffee wasn’t going to help this. “I screwed up.”

Ivan nodded. “Got it in one. Come and have some breakfast. Roic has it all laid out for us.” He tossed Miles his robe. “Roic delegated the chewing out to me. He’s not going to say anything more.”

Miles muttered under his breath and contemplated staying right where he was. “I’ll just bet he’s going to look plenty, though.”

Ivan rattled the ice bucket. Miles took the hint.

He was starving, headache or no headache. Miles couldn’t remember when he’d last eaten. Breakfast yesterday? No, all he’d had was coffee. Dinner the night before, with Ekaterin? Yes, that was it. No wonder he was hungry. Ivan wasn’t averse to a second breakfast, and helped himself to eggs and bacon, _to keep him company._ They’d just about finished when the doorbell chimed. Roic put down the coffee pot and hurried to check the security vid. “It’s Sera Tuomonen, my lord. She’s on her own.”

 _Oh, gods_. He had to face her some time. What was left of his appetite deserted him and he jumped to his feet to face the door. “Let her in, Roic.”

She looked very trim and businesslike, and carried a pile of towels in her arms. “Jenna. Good morning.”

“Good morning, my lord, and you, my lord count.” Jenna nodded to Ivan, but she looked anxiously at Miles. “How are you this morning? You gave us such a fright yesterday.”

Miles felt heat in his cheeks. “I’m very embarrassed. I can only apologise. I’m so sorry to put you through that.”

Jenna dumped her towels on a chair and took a step towards him. “Oh, come here. What you need is a hug.”

She smelled of flowers. Violets, that was it. Luckily it wasn’t one of the flowers he was allergic to. Miles found himself hugging her right back. He waggled the fingers of one hand to stave off Roic, who’d drawn his stunner in an instinctive move to protect him from her assault.

Ivan’s amused voice brought him back to his surroundings. “I don’t know how you do it, Miles. It’s not like you’re tall, dark and handsome or anything.” 

Miles ignored him. “Thank you, Jenna. I appreciate that. I really am sorry, you know.” He sighed. “Have you met my cousin Ivan?”

Jenna acknowledged his cousin over his shoulder. “Yes, we met earlier. Your wife asked me to do that, my lord. I spoke to her last night, remember. She sounds like a very sensible lady. She said you’d need a hug today, and not to forget to take your meds.”

She stepped back, but she wasn’t done. With one hand on his shoulder she swiped the other through his hair to finger comb it in a gesture so familiar it brought the tears back to his eyes again. He wouldn’t have got any sympathy from his Ma, though, apart from that. _She_ would have torn a strip off him as well.

Ivan pulled back a chair for her. “Come and join us. We’re discussing what’s best to do. Would you like some coffee?”

“Tea for me, please. Milk, no sugar. Let me put these towels in the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Jenna was considerate as well as kind. Miles was back to as normal as he was going to get by the time she returned. Ivan held her chair and Roic placed her cup on the table in front of her.

“Thank you. It makes a change to be waited on. I’ll be servicing the room while you’re here, my lord. No one else will have access, and I’ll only come in when someone is here. You can rest assured nobody is going to go prying, or planting anything.”

“Roic scans twice a day, but thank you. You’ve been married to ImpSec for a while, obviously.”

She didn’t quite like that one. “I’m married to a wonderful man who happens to be an ImpSec officer. He’ll be over shortly, once all the security concerns for Vandeville have been attended to for the day.” The smile came back. “I’m married to a man who’s married to his job. It’s a hard life, but somebody has to do it, and he’s worth it.”

Ivan added to the conversation. “Raine and By will be here shortly. It won’t take them any more than an hour to check the cottage out, unless something’s gone wrong. Devaux’s with them, and Marie.”

Miles could feel the resentment building. “Let’s all have a regular party, shall we?”

Ivan wasn’t having any of it. “Why not? You need a keeper with a bit more authority than Roic. You obviously won’t listen to _him_. You’re going to have a committee to _make_ you listen.”

It wasn’t long before Byerly Vorrutyer and Raine arrived. Marie bounced in, running to hug her Da before she turned to Uncle Miles. She wasn’t going to let him being an Auditor stop her from scrambling up into his lap. Her hug was ruthless. “Uncle Miles! I had to leave Princess and Prince Xav home. Da wouldn’t let me bring them. They would have liked to see you too.”

Miles looked over her head to see a smouldering expression in Ivan’s eyes. What had the cats been up to this time? Served him right. It was nice to share the joy around sometimes.

Raine kissed him on the cheek and shooed Marie away. “Uncle Miles isn’t very well, Marie. Hop down now. Would you like some water, or some juice? Ivan, the house is wonderful. By’s done a brilliant job.”

Ivan had risen to kiss his wife and shake hands with Byerly Vorrutyer. “Come and meet Jenna Tuomonen, Raine. Her husband’s going to join us as soon as he can, duty permitting.”

Jenna had obviously done some homework. She knew Raine was the famous author with the nom de plume of _A Barrayaran Lady._ Miles watched her cast a speculating glance or two at the count and countess. “Don’t worry, Jenna. Raine writes _fiction_. Riika won’t be visiting some den of iniquity. Well, as long as Byerly isn’t there, of course. All bets are off if that’s the case.”

Raine told him off. “Don’t talk like that about Byerly, Miles. He’s a reformed man, _and_ a hero. He saved Dono, don’t forget. Plus he saved Ekaterin _and_ he saved me!”

Miles relented. “I know. I was there. He did a damn fine job with Dono.”

Captain Tuomonen’s duty obviously had the welfare of the emperor’s Lord Auditor at the top of his list. It was only a few minutes before he appeared at the door. He’d collected Riika along the way, too. She was her normal direct self. “Uncle By! Hello. I like your hair. It looks like the wind blew too hard.”

It was impossible not to laugh. Tuomonen introduced her to everyone. Devaux and By she knew, and she’d at least met Lord Vorkosigan, but the rest were pretty much strangers. Marie came over to say hello.

Riika had had her eye on the time. “Do you like Tristram the Trusty? It starts in five minutes.” At Marie’s blank look she explained. “It’s a vid about Emperor Dorca’s horse. It’s really great.”

Marie was happy to go along. “Oh, I like horses. I’ve got my own pony, but only in New Sheffield. She’s not allowed in Vorbarr Sultana. Ma and Da and Uncle Miles and Uncle By are all going to be talking boring stuff. We can watch the vid.”

“Is he your Uncle By, too? He’s mine as well. He’s funny, isn’t he?”

Jenna found a couple of headsets and arranged the girls in front of the vid. They could talk to each other but wouldn’t hear the adults, and more importantly the adults wouldn’t be able to hear Tristram, or Emperor Dorca.

Ivan pulled a face. “Rats. We’ve managed to dodge Tristram the Trusty ever since it started. Somehow the idea of a talking horse smarter than my great great grandfather doesn’t really appeal.”

Raine shushed him. “Don’t listen to him, Jenna. It’s perfectly fine. We won’t hear a peep out of either of the girls for an hour, I’ll bet.”

It was time for Miles to try and exert some sort of control. “Shall we discuss the children first, and then I can discuss the safety of the Imperium with Captain Tuomonen?”

Ivan wasn’t impressed. “You can discuss it with us, too. Maybe Raine and Jenna would prefer to take the girls off for some sightseeing or something, but the rest of us know what’s happened, at least as much as Gregor knows. He briefed us last night, when he thought his Lord Auditor was _dying_.”

“Oh.”

“ _Yes_ , oh."

“But Roic—”

Ivan was starting to get exasperated. “ _Roic_ thought you were dying, too. He’s never seen you in an uncontrolled fit like that. It went on for nearly six minutes. The ones induced by your stimulator are less than four, apparently, and much less…er…confronting, shall we say?”

Miles looked at his armsman who was standing by the coffee machine, ready to serve anyone who wanted something. He looked wounded. “I really need to apologise to you, too, Roic. I honestly thought I had more time. I miscalculated, somehow.”

“I talked to your doctor, my lord. He thinks it was a combination of three or four factors; stress, fatigue, no food and too much travelling. They speeded things up.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” He couldn’t say anything else.

Tuomonen didn’t look happy with him. He was going to get an earful from him, too. Oh, well, why not? Miles braced himself as the captain opened his mouth. He tried to pre-empt him. “I’m sorry, Tuomonen. I should have told you. I didn’t think that was going to happen.”

“I’m only sorry you couldn’t take me into your confidence, my lord, but I realise it’s a deeply personal matter for you. I thought someone had poisoned you, that I’d let something through, somehow.”

 _And had a Lord Auditor murdered on_ your _patch._ The consequences would have been horrendous for him. To give the man credit, though, he didn’t look angry on his own behalf. He didn’t look angry at all. He looked upset and concerned for _him_. Miles felt enough of a worm already. It wasn’t like he’d done it on purpose.

Byerly Vorrutyer, of all people, came to his rescue. He hadn’t said anything so far, no doubt still recovering from Riika’s artless remark. “Leave the man alone. He knows he screwed up. There’s no need to rub it in any more. I’d like to say how grateful I am that everyone, especially Ivan and Raine, is taking so much trouble to give Dono the care he needs. House Vorrutyer is deeply grateful.”

Ivan shifted in his seat. “I haven’t heard the half of it, but what happened to that family is just _wrong_. Nobody is going to stand by and do nothing. Nobody with any honour, that is. We’re very happy to help.”

Jenna looked round at them all. “I think I’ll be happy to let Riika visit New Sheffield, if that’s what she wants to do. It’s obvious you’ll take the best care of her. Lauri, what do you think?”

He didn’t look so convinced. “I think I’m an over-protective father. It’s nothing I can put words to.”

Devaux had been a silent observer but he chimed in now. “You know you can trust me, Lauri. I won’t let anything bad happen.”

Tuomonen relaxed. “There is that. Very well then. If she wants to go, she has my permission.”

Ivan smiled. “Excellent. And I will get the Lord High Pooh Bah here to give you an urgent message you have to deliver to me personally this week end, and I will make you wait overnight for an answer. If it’s difficult enough I might take two days to decide and you’ll have to kick your heels and think of something to do. I'll send Devaux to fetch Jenna and your son. He can bring you all back together. Anyone got any objections? No? Good. That’s settled, then.”

Riika couldn’t believe her luck. Jenna took an hour off work to take her home and pack. Raine, Devaux and Byerly all went with them. It only left Ivan, Miles and Captain Tuomonen behind. Ivan’s face clouded over once they were gone. He produced a data case he’d stashed in the suite’s safe before breakfast.

“The message wasn’t the only thing from Vorbarr Sultana, Miles.” He extracted two parchments from the case. They were sealed and tied with black ribbons. “Byerly didn’t fly down overnight just to look at my mother in law’s house. Gregor sent him down with death warrants for Richars Vorrutyer and Agatha Vortorren.”


	19. Put on your dancing shoes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauri has a grim duty, but Miles Vorkosigan has a solution.

Lauri Tuomonen sat behind his desk, tapping a stylus on his teeth as he tried to come to a decision. He wasn’t normally indecisive, but this was different. He ran the rosters through his head. Paxton as squad commander; it was his right and his duty. Tolya was solid, no problem there. His experience would steady the others. Most of the slots filled quite easily. His only debate was with the choice of Harrison. He was less than a year into his service. It might be asking too much.

Lauri punched the com. “Trooper Harrison to my office, please.” He stopped fidgeting. If he didn’t like it he shouldn’t have joined, but he’d give him the choice and see what he said.

Harrison appeared in the doorway, where he stood to rigid attention. “You wanted me, sir?”

“Come in, Trooper. Take a seat.”

Harrison relaxed slightly. He must have thought he was in for a rocket. He sat down looking curious now, rather than apprehensive. Lauri came to the point. “I have a detail I’m putting together. The emperor has sent through a death warrant for Agatha Vortorren. Are you up for the job?”

Harrison’s eyes opened slightly, but otherwise his expression didn’t change. “That’s the woman from the Imperial Club that was, isn’t it, sir?”

“Yes. She’s admitted to treason and other testimony confirms the facts. She’s guilty, no doubt.”

“She tried to kill you, and she would have killed the emperor or the empress if she’d had half a chance. There’s no question. Of course I’ll do it, sir. I’m only sorry I missed that first time I took a shot at her. It’s not much of an oath I took if I’m not prepared to go through with something like this. When?”

“Tomorrow morning, first thing. She’ll be allowed final visits tonight and sedation if she wants it. Some do and some don’t.”

“Have you done many of these, sir? What do we use? Plasma Rifles?”

“No. Nerve disruptors. This needs to be done first time, and properly. There’s a chance she might linger with plasma. Dress is combat kit, muster here 0500, execution at 0530. Sergeant Tolya will issue weapons when we reach the prison. There’ll be five of you in the squad.”

Harrison was putting on a brave face; either that or he was a cool customer. Lauri didn’t think he lacked imagination. He went back to his normal duties without any more discussion, just a nod as he stood back to attention. It was hard to settle back to work. Lauri took a few moments to call his daughter instead. He was still worried about her, even though he knew she’d arrived in New Sheffield already and met Dono again.

Riika seemed to be having a whale of a time playing on the climbing frame in a large park. Enzo had to call her over to answer the call.

“We’re all going to go to a farm tomorrow, Da,” she told him. “They have horses and ducks and hay rides—”

“They do? What’s a hay ride?”

She grinned at him. “I don’t know, Da. I’ve never been to a farm before.”

That was true. Living on Komarr was very restricting in some ways. The transfer to Vandeville had been a blessing in disguise, although it was looking like a very mixed blessing these days. There was one bit of good news though. He wasn’t going to be involved in the investigation of his predecessor. That little job had gone much higher up the chain of command. Major Vorgier (retired) had no idea of what was about to fall on him from a great height. Lauri had no sympathy for him, though. He’d been negligent in his duty. There were few worse sins for a serving officer.

A voice broke in over Riika’s chatter. ”Hey, Riika, aren’t you coming? It’s your turn.” It was young Dono he realised, as the boy appeared over his daughter’s shoulder. “We’re waiting for you.”

Riika wanted to be off and doing. He sent her a kiss and closed the com. _And he’d been worried she’d be homesick._ Maybe it was too early for that. Not that he _wanted_ her to be homesick, but _he_ was missing _her_. What had Jenna called him? Poppa Bear? She was right, damn it. His daughter did need to spread her wings. He wanted her to be the best she could be, after all. He couldn’t go standing in her way.

Now that the Lord Auditor had headed up to the orbital station it all seemed way too quiet. To keep himself busy he sprang a surprise inspection on his men, but there was very little to fault. Most of them were up to their ears in inventory lists and ordering stores or the regular, ongoing work of their sections. The paperwork was going to take _forever_. And he was going to have to read it all, when they were done.

After an hour he had to admit he was kidding himself. The thought of the execution disturbed him. It had to be done, but he didn’t have to like it. Maybe he’d go out to the range. They were blowing up some of the confiscated munitions out there. Sergeant Tolya was in charge. He’d have something sensible to say, and he could pass on the news that he’d seen Dono looking healthy and happy. Tolya had asked him if he knew anything.

The house was silent when they got home. Jenna had been quiet on the trip back, looking at him in concern when she thought he wouldn’t notice. Once he’d checked the security and locked up she faced him. “You don’t have to worry about Riika, you know. Just think of the alliances she’s going to be making.”

He forced a laugh. “That’s a very Komarran way of looking things, isn’t it? I’m sure she’s not thinking of alliances.”

Jenna shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps not. It’s not just Riika, though, is it? What’s really wrong, Lauri?”

“It’s that obvious, is it?”

“Only to me, I would think.”

He sighed. “I can’t talk about it.”

“Right.” She thrust a squirming baby into his arms. “You go bathe Jukka and I’ll make a start on dinner. Don’t let him drown while you’re worrying about your job.”

It was the medicine he needed, of course. Jukka chortled and kicked and did his very best to drench his Da. Lauri should have taken his tunic off first, but it wouldn’t matter this once. As the emperor’s representative appointed to read out the warrant he’d be wearing his dress greens in the morning. That would be his next job, to make sure they were immaculate. Between that, and Jukka, and Jenna challenging him to game of _Space Stations_ he was kept well occupied. He knew what she was doing, and he was grateful. Perhaps he would go to bed for an hour or two and show her just how grateful he was.

Jenna was fast asleep at 0400, when the cruiser called for him. He was fully dressed and ready to go when he kissed her just under her ear, the only patch of skin visible as she clutched a pillow in her arms. There was an unaccustomed buzz at headquarters when he got there, with people moving around and Sergeant Tolya running the check on the armoury with Lieutenant Paxton. They were all early. There wasn’t a single fault to find with any member of the squad when they mustered on parade. It was all quite surreal. They moved off just after 0500 and arrived at the prison in good time. Lauri was half hoping he’d hear that Agatha Vortorren had been found dead in her cell but she sat there like a malignant Baba Yaga, cursing them all with her eyes. She could sit there. It wouldn’t make any difference. Tolya issued the arms and Paxton checked them, After that, there was nothing to do but march them out. At 0528, Lauri came to attention and started reading the parchment. He’d timed it to the second.

“Under Our seal, Gregor Vorbarra, Head of the Barrayaran Imperium, Emperor of Barrayar, Komarr and Sergyar. Whereas Agatha Vortorren stands convicted, attainted and condemned of High Treason…”

At 0530 exactly, he finished, swallowed and gave the command. “Lieutenant Paxton, proceed.”

He put the squad through an hour in the gym afterwards, before they were dismissed for breakfast. Sergeant Tolya came and sat beside him in the tiny cafeteria. They all messed in together here.

Tolya had been stationed in Vorbarr Sultana when the Birthday Plot went down. He knew what it was like. “I might be way out of line, sir, but you did a good job today. It’ll take a while to settle after something like that.”

Lauri mustered up a smile. “Thank you. If I didn’t like it I shouldn’t have joined, eh? I’d be liking it a lot worse if she’d gone through with some of those plans.”

“I suppose there’ll be more. They’ll be working down the list in Vorbarr Sultana. I wouldn’t like the emperor’s job, and that’s for sure.”

Lauri drained his coffee. “There’s always someone worse off. Thanks, Tolya. Let’s hope things get back to normal soon.”

“Normal being the next lunatic to think he can take on the Imperium. People have a right to sleep safe in their beds, and that includes the emperor and his family. Don’t waste your time worrying about the scum, sir.”

Lauri suspected Tolya of caring about him. He needed to think about that.

Lord Vorkosigan arrived back in Vandeville later that afternoon. Byerly Vorrutyer was still with him. Roic, too, loomed even larger than usual, keeping an eagle eye on his liege lord. They gathered for a quick debrief. Lauri hadn’t really thought about it until Vorrutyer explained himself.

“As well as all his other sins, Richars was responsible for the death of his cousin, the sitting count. I was there as witness for the District. I thought I’d be happy to see him go, but he was a miserable, snivelling worm right until the end. He wouldn’t even take the easy way out. It _was_ offered. It was more mercy than he deserved, in my opinion. Apart from that duty, somebody needed to keep an eye on our esteemed Lord Auditor here until his lady wife arrives. Pym is bringing her down this evening.” Vorrutyer’s malicious humour peeked out. “Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall for that little conversation?”

Lauri thought about her security, and Jenna’s reaction if Lady Vorkosigan turned up unannounced. “Does my wife know Lady Vorkosigan is arriving? The suite will be ready, of course, but it doesn’t do to blindside her. Is my lady bringing a protection detail with her?”

Miles Vorkosigan had finished glaring at Vorrutyer. “Yes, Pym was going to let Jenna know this morning. I am going to take the weekend off, on the emperor’s orders, and so, Captain Tuomonen, are _you_. My cousin Ivan is putting you up at his Dower House where Juliette is staying. Riika will spend the two nights with you as well. There’s plenty of room. You’re going to be Ivan and Ivana Ivanovich. No reporting to ImpSec, no worrying about work here. We have a very experienced babysitter lined up for Jukka. She’s the mother of one of Ivan’s armsmen and caretaker at the Dower House. She adores babies. Jenna’s going to love Ma Fox and Ma Walton who are detailed as escorts for the weekend. I’m not going to say anything more except they’re Betans. She’ll find out the rest. Any questions?”

What was he supposed to say? “Er, no, my lord. Thank you, I think.”

“Good. Vorrutyer here will go with you and introduce you around but he won’t be staying. He has to report to the emperor.”

Byerly Vorrutyer didn’t look like he relished that idea very much, but he was going to make the most of his night at the Galactic Club. “I’ll entertain the Lord Auditor at dinner, until his wife gets here, of course. I’m sure I’ll be quite _de trop_ after that. I’ll probably end the evening in the bar. We’ll be leaving at 0900, baby willing. I know exactly what they’re like, of course. I want to get home and see what Belpierre’s up to. They can change so much in just three days, can’t they?”

It was seriously weird, finishing a day that started with an execution that morning with a discussion on baby development, but here they were. It probably had something to do with associating with the Lord Auditor.

New Sheffield was a bustling District Capital. The Dower House dated back to the Time of Isolation, all solid, golden stone and old oak. Jenna Looked in awe at the façade. “Are we really going to stay here?”

Devaux popped the canopy. Her answer was a squeal and a rush of feet down the steps as Riika erupted from the front door. “Ma! Da! Uncle By! You’re here!”

Lauri grinned at Jenna as he climbed out. ”It certainly looks like it. You say hello to Riika while I bring Jukka in. Enzo and I will have to make a couple of trips with his luggage.”

Devaux shooed him off. “This is nothing. You should have seen me when I flew Byerly and Sela down from Vorbarr Sultana. You take Jukka in. Ma Walton will have lunch waiting. That’s her there now, at the top of the steps.”

The lady Enzo pointed out was plump and motherly, wreathed in smiles with her arms held out in welcome. She was flanked by two more of Count Voralys’s very formidable armsmen.

“Welcome to New Sheffield! I’m Ma Walton. This is my son Adrian, and his friend Marcus Fox. They’ll help with the luggage. You come along in. Riika’s been bursting with excitement ever since the count himself dropped her off this morning.”

Byerly Vorrutyer came in for just a minute. “I need to get along. I can’t make the emperor wait but I want to check in with Juliette as I won’t see her again for quite a while.” He disappeared into the house.

Riika was still clinging to her mother’s arm but she craned her neck to see into the baby carrier. “How is Jukka? Is he hungry? You have to come in and meet everybody.”

Fox and Walton shook hands briefly and clattered down the steps to help move the collection of suitcases, float stroller and baby paraphernalia that seemed to multiply every time Lauri looked at it. He left them to it, carrying Jukka into the lofty entrance hall. A magnificent carved wooden staircase spiralled up to the bedroom level, but his attention was caught by two more people waiting for them. Yes, it was two people, not one and a reflection. He’d never seen identical twins before, and these two were gorgeous, with flowing auburn hair and bright blue eyes. Lord Vorkosigan had kept that little bit of information to himself, but which one was married to Fox, and which one to Walton?

One of the ladies had longer hair. It was the only thing to tell them apart. “Hello, I’m Fiona Dunbar…Walton.” The last was a bit of an afterthought, probably caused by the anguished look her mother in law cast in her direction. “And this is my sister, Flora Dunbar Fox. The count thought you might be a bit overwhelmed with Barrayarans, Jenna. I hope I can call you that?”

Jenna wasn't one to stand on formalities. “Of course. That was kind of him.”

Fiona grinned. “Yes, he’s very thoughtful like that. I think his mother trained him well. Juliette is waiting in the sitting room. She gets a bit overwhelmed with crowds at times but Byerly will calm her down. He’s brilliant with her.”

Riika started dragging at Lauri’s hand. “Da, Dono’s there, too. He says he hasn’t met you yet. Come and say hello.”

Lauri handed Jukka’s carrier off to Ma Walton, who started cooing over him straight away. “OK, honey, let’s go.”

“And Ma Walton is going to babysit all of us kids so you and Ma can go dancing tonight with Uncle Enzo and Auntie Juliette and, and _all_ the aunties and uncles!”

“You do seem to have acquired a few. Just how many are there?”

 _Alliances._ Jenna caught his eye. She had a total _I told you so_ look on her face.

They were nine of them plus five children at lunch. Jukka was just old enough to sit well propped up in a float chair and happily tucked in to mashed roast carrot and gravy. Lauri couldn’t shovel it in fast enough. Traditional Voralys District cooking was based on English recipes but Ma Walton had catered for all the galactics and the roast beef was strictly vat based. Marcus Fox poured wine for all the adults and raised his glass.

“Welcome to Voralys District, Ivan and Ivana.”

Riika burst into laughter. She thought it was hilarious.

Lauri felt himself relaxing. Why not? He turned to Adrian Walton. Now was his chance. “So, you would know Mikhail Karasavas, wouldn’t you? What’s he really like?”

Later that evening he watched his wife whirl round the dance floor in the arms of Marcus Fox. The children were all back at the Dower House snug in their beds. Another armsman, one called Harper, had dropped in to keep Ma Walton company for the evening, or so he said, but he had his stunner with him. Lauri wasn't fooled. The count was taking no chances and Harper was on duty.

Jenna was having the time of her life. All work and no play made Lauri a very dull boy indeed, he realised. Fiona was dancing with Adrian, and Enzo had coaxed Juliette up. Flora watched them all with an indulgent eye. She had begged to sit out just one dance. She’d come off night shift the night before and exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her. Lauri was happy to sit. People watching was his thing, after all.

“What do you think about Juliette and Enzo?” she asked him after they’d been silent for a few moments.

“I think he’s fair smitten with her.” Lauri hadn’t really believed it to start with, but Blind Freddy could see he was head over heels. “I don’t think Juliette has a clue, though. It’s more one broken soul calling out to another with her just now.”

Flora agreed. “She’s in a very awkward position. Until Dono settles I don’t think she’ll consider herself or her own needs for a moment. Enzo loves the children, too, and that’s by no means a given here on Barrayar, I’ve discovered. Would she be allowed to marry him, do you think?”

Lauri considered. “I hate politics. While she’s a pawn she’d be better off not marrying anybody. We can’t afford to let anyone find out where she is, either. Count Vortaine has a legal claim on the boy. It would destroy him to be taken away from his mother.”

“It’s absolutely barbarous. The count, Count Voralys, I mean, says Lord Vorkosigan will come up with something and the emperor would be dead against a boy being taken away from his mother, but I do worry. We all do, Enzo most of all. It’s a relief to let our hair down.” She held out a hand and hauled him to his feet. “Speaking of which, I do believe I’ve got my second wind.”


	20. A weekend off.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles finds himself in hot water.

Miles Vorkosigan watched Byerly Vorrutyer down his drink and hurriedly refill his glass. What the? _Oh_. Even though Byerly had his back to the door he’d seen a reflection in the glass behind the bar, a split second before Miles noticed the real thing. Armsman Pym was most certainly the real thing, preceding his Lady Vorkosigan into the private dining room they were using. Pym fixed him with a look, folded his arms and stood grimly by the door as Ekaterin entered behind him. Miles and Byerly both scrambled to their feet. Miles rushed over to hug her.

“Ekaterin. I’m so glad to see you! I’ve missed you so much.”

By picked up his glass. “This is my cue to say goodnight.” He paused for a moment and then picked up the bottle as well. “You won’t be needing this, Miles. Ekaterin prefers a lighter wine. Goodnight, my lady. I’m sure you wish to be as private with your husband as two armsmen will allow you.” He lifted his glass in a silent toast to Ekaterin as he walked past, and then to Pym as the armsman held the door open for him. “Be kind, Pym. We’ve only just finished patching up the damage. We don’t want blood splattered on the new paintwork.”

“Good night, sir.” Pym said no more. He wasn’t about to enter into conversation with the likes of Byerly Vorrutyer. Not now, anyway.

 _Talk first._ If he was talking Pym couldn’t say anything. “I really don’t know why you didn’t want me to come out and meet you, Ekaterin. It would only have taken half an hour. I hope Lieutenant Paxton looked after you? I told you I’d sent Tuomonen and his family to New Sheffield, didn’t I? His little daughter is there—”

“Miles.” Ekaterin broke in on him. “Stop babbling. What in heaven’s name do you think we’re going to do to you?”

Miles crumpled. He slumped against her shoulder. “Flay me alive? Tear strips off me?” His voice dropped. “Be very disappointed with me?”

Pym spoke up. “One out of three is spot on, my lord. I’ll go and unpack for you, my lady. Roic is right outside the door if you need him.” He left them to it.

Ekaterin just hugged Miles for a little while longer before she pushed him away. “Right,” she said briskly. “I want the full story about what happened. Don’t leave anything out and don’t blame anyone else.”

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Miles looked around. “Oh, Byerly took the bottle. How does he know you prefer a lighter wine? Have you been drinking with him? I can get you another one if you’d like.”

Ekaterin sat in Byerly’s vacated place. “No, I don’t want a glass of wine, or anything else, for that matter. You’re still babbling. I want you to come and talk sensibly to me, please.”

She was being very polite, caring and concerned. It was worse than anything. Miles did as he was bid. “It was all my fault. I pushed it too far. There was so much to do, and all of it urgent. I ended up having a fit in front of Roic and the Tuomonens. _Both_ of them. It was a bad one, over six minutes apparently. I came to lying on the bed. Jenna was sitting with me. She…she’d got a cold compress for my head and had my medication ready. Tuomonen had gone to make sure no one else knew about it and Roic was on the com. Tuomonen thought someone had poisoned me, until he realised I’d done this before, on Komarr. He’d only had reports about that so he hadn’t seen it for himself.”

“You hadn’t told him?”

He shook his head. “No. I don’t exactly like to broadcast the fact Gregor’s Lord Auditor has fits.”

“It’s on a needs know basis, Miles. Poor Captain Tuomonen _needed_ to know. His wife was so lovely, when she spoke to me on the com. You were in very safe hands. Did she do what I suggested?”

“What? Oh, give me a hug? Yes, she did. I nearly started bawling.”

“Feeling sorry for yourself, no doubt. You know I’d take this all away in an instant if I could, don’t you, my darling?” Ekaterin’s eyes clouded briefly. “I _can’t_. I can’t do anything. We have to learn how to manage it. Little Aral Alexander and Helen Natalia need their Da. Nikki really needs you. How can I risk bringing more children into this world if you are not going to be in it? I can’t do that, Miles.”

They’d been talking about their next baby. Miles had already pictured her in his mind, looking exactly like her mother. It was an awful threat Ekaterin had just made. “I promise. I _promise_ I won’t do this again. I’ll use the stimulator at seventy five percent, no matter what. My word as Vorkosigan.”

Ekaterin sighed. “You think we’re all making a huge fuss, don’t you? Me, and Gregor, and Pym, and all of us. You were safe this time, Miles, among people you can trust with your life. _Had_ to trust with your life, because there was nothing you could do about it right then. What if you hadn’t been in a safe environment? What then?”

His misery was complete. “I just didn’t want to let it beat me, but it has, hasn’t it? I can’t be trusted.”

“Nonsense. Don’t snivel. Look at all you’ve achieved, despite it. You just have to be clever with yourself like you are with all the villains you deal with.”

Miles perked up just a little. Here was something to distract her with. Ekaterin would like his news. “Speaking of which, Richars Vorrutyer was executed this morning.”

“Was he?” Ekaterin thought about Richars Vorrutyer and dismissed him utterly. “He threatened my son. He threatened my Nikki.”

“One of his biggest mistakes, but not his biggest crime.” Miles was off the hook, with Ekaterin at least. There were still fences to be mended. “I’ll go and talk to Pym. Do you want to come with me?”

She shook her head. “No, I’ll get Roic to make me some tea. You have to be careful with Pym. He’s really torn at the moment. Ma Pym needs some treatment. We’re going to send her to Escobar, to the Duronas. Mark has made all the arrangements and Aurie is going with her. Pym didn’t feel he could take the time off himself.”

“Oh, gods. It’s serious, then? Not cancer, is it?”

Ekaterin only nodded. Miles leapt for the door. “I’ll send Roic in. Pym needs to go with her. Of course he can take the time off. I’m all but finished here, anyway, apart from the paperwork.”

Pym had arranged the Prince Xav suite to his satisfaction. He stood to attention when Miles came in, his face impassive and his eyes staring at nothing. He was going to bunk in with Roic in the second bedroom. There were twin beds in there, although it remained to be seen if they both slept at the same time. They were probably going to do watch and watch about. _Babysitting_.

Miles broke the silence. “I’m so sorry to hear about Ma Pym. What’s this Ekaterin is telling me about you not going with her to Escobar? You have to go, Pym. Of course you do.”

Pym deigned to look him in the eye. “My duty is with you, my lord. It’s my sworn oath to look after you.”

Pym made him feel small sometimes, not in stature, never that, but in spirit. When Pym said _duty_ , he meant _love_.“Not in extenuating circumstances like these. She’s going to need you. I _can_ manage, Pym, I promise I’ll listen to every word Roic says.”

Pym just shook his head. “It’s going to be weeks, my lord. Maybe months.”

Miles had a truly horrible thought. “But she _is_ going to get better, isn’t she?”

Pym unbent at last. Worry crossed his features. “I truly hope so, my lord. They seem to think so. I can’t do without her, and that’s for sure.”

“Well you _have_ to go with her then!” At the mulish look that came back into his expression Miles compromised. “At least go as far as Komarr, and take it from there. She’ll need you for that part of the trip. That would only be two or three weeks at the most.”

Pym looked torn. Of course he wanted to go. There was nothing else to do. Miles turned Vor on him. “I’m _ordering_ you to escort your wife to Komarr, Pym. No more arguments.”

His armsman blinked twice. “Very well. Thank you, my lord. I’ll tell her what you said.”

It was special, seeing Vandeville through Ekaterin’s eyes. The first thing they did the next morning was head to the cemetery to burn an offering at her mother’s grave. Well, after they finally got out of bed it was the first thing they did. It looked like she’d properly forgiven him.

Miles held Ekaterin’s hand tightly as they watched the olive wood shavings and clips of hair in the polished bronze brazier burn away to nothing but white ash. “She must have been a very special woman.”

Ekaterin was silent a moment longer. “She was my mother,” she said as they turned away. “Let’s go and see Da and Violie. They’re expecting us.”

Sasha Vorvayne looked much the same as he had at their wedding, slightly bewildered and bending over backwards not to offend. He was never going to completely relax with Miles the way his mother and father did with Ekaterin. Miles did his best as they chatted over lunch.

“What do you know about the Imperial Club, Sasha? You must be a member there?”

His father-in-law shook his head. “Not me. Not any longer, anyway. The last time I was there was when we hired a table to celebrate Hugo’s coming of age. Ekaterin won’t remember it. She was too small to come as they had strict rules about children. They had strict rules about a lot of things, If I recall correctly. It really wasn’t my thing. We weren’t the right sort of Vor for the committee’s satisfaction, I think. When they admitted Count Vorfolse I preferred to have no more dealings with them. My first wife was friends with Aceline Vorfolse. They had babies very much the same age. Vorfolse left his nephew’s wife in near poverty, not that there was very much I could do about it. I do know that Ekaterin’s mother used to babysit from time to time, to give Aceline a break. The girls drew apart once they started school, but they were still friends. It’s very strange they’ve become related now.”

Ekaterin smiled at her Da. “I was delighted to catch up with Raine again. She’s been so good for Ivan, too. Don’t you think so, Miles?”

Miles thought about his cousin. “Ivan’s a changed man these days. I don’t know what’s come over him. He hasn’t been an idiot since he blew up Count Vorclarence. I’m sure it’ll wear off sooner or later.”

Ekaterin dug him in the ribs. “That’s so unkind, Miles! Ivan’s done you more good turns than I can count, and that’s only since I’ve known him. He’s changed. We all have. Just look at Byerly!”

Sasha recognised the name. “Oh, that’s the man you sent to see me. He’s my idea of a proper Vor, if you look past his strange ideas about fashion.”

Miles nearly choked on his wine. “Byerly Vorrutyer? A proper Vor?” He saw Ekaterin giving him a look. “If you say so, sir. I’d still like to find out how he knows what sort of wine Ekaterin prefers.”

Ekaterin’s look turned mischievous. “Perhaps it’s because _he_ listens when I talk to him. Did you pay any attention when I told you what I had planned for the rest of the afternoon?”

What had she said? Miles tried to think. Ekaterin _had_ talked to him just after breakfast. He’d been busy finalising Pym’s travel arrangements and worrying about his next report to Gregor, not to mention reliving the morning he’d just had “I…er…forget.”

“You just proved my point. I said, you’d been in so much hot water lately some more wouldn’t hurt. We’re going to the thermal spa.” 

Sasha thought it was an excellent idea. “Oh, yes, you can’t come all the way to Vandeville and not visit the spa. It’s only half an hour away. Violie and I love it for our aching bones, don’t we, dear?”

Violie nodded her agreement. “Absolutely. It will be just the thing, Miles, for your poor health. Ekaterin said you hadn’t been well. The salt spa comes out of the spring at forty degrees, but you work up to that, of course.”

It looked like it was all settled. There was only one problem. Miles turned back to Ekaterin. “I didn’t bring any swimming things with me.”

Was that the shiver of a wink? Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. “Don’t worry about it, Miles. I’ve booked us a private pool. Pools, I should say. The hottest one is from a sulphur spring. It’s wonderful for aching joints.”

What was going on in that brain of hers? Miles couldn’t decide if he should be worried or delighted. Sasha and Violie were very obviously ignoring the by-play between the two of them. “I don’t happen to have any aching joints right now.”

“By the time we get to the hot pool you will.”

What was a man to do? All thoughts of lunch or reports to the emperor fled. “The spa it is, then. I can hardly wait.”

On the first day of the working week Miles met Tuomonen in the gym for the usual squad workout. Roic wasn’t with him as he’d been detailed to look after Ekaterin for the day. ImpSec wasn’t about to leave the Lord Auditor unguarded for as much as half a heartbeat. Paxton allocated Harrison to shadow the Lord Auditor before he himself took two rostered days off. Tuomonen seemed happy with the arrangements, but not as happy as Harrison was. The man loved to be at the centre of things. He had a natural curiosity that boded well for his future in ImpSec and an enthusiasm for his work that naturally recommended him to his superiors. After the session Miles commented on it.

“Don’t you think Harrison is wasted as a grunt, Tuomonen?”

“I do, sir. I’ve already mentioned the fact to Major Karasavas and I’ll be recommending him for acceptance into a mature entry course. I thought Vorsmythe's District Academy might be a good choice.”

Miles watched Harrison bustling about to be ready when he decided to move. “If you don’t object I’ll take him back with me for the Imperial Academy selection course. There’s still time to put his name forward.”

“I’ll be sorry to lose him. I have a feeling Lindy Leclerq will be sorry to see him go, too. They seemed quite close the other day.”

“It’s just as well it hasn’t gone too far. An academy course and a partner don’t go together. Speaking of partners, how was your weekend?”

Tuomonen’s enthusiasm bubbled up. “We had a fantastic time. Count Voralys is a very hospitable man. The countess, Jenna and Juliette were as thick as thieves by the time we left. There was only one fly in the ointment.”

Had something gone wrong? Ivan wouldn’t have been about to let that happen. “That doesn’t sound good. Anything I can help with?”

Tuomonen’s grin broadened. “Riika informs us that she’s going to marry Dono when they both grow up. It’s all arranged, apparently. Dono agreed with her.”

Stranger things had happened. Miles had sworn everlasting fealty to Gregor when he was six years old, and meant every word he’d said. Time would tell. It was back to business now.

“Kids do the weirdest things. I wouldn’t worry about it. We have another matter to deal with today. The second batch of warrants has come through. Gregor didn’t want to sign one of them in particular while he was still so angry. He was very cold and collected when he signed this one. It’s for Ursulette Vorrutyer Vorbataille.”


	21. About time, too.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauri gets a surprise.

The workload gradually reduced over the next few days. By the end of that week Lauri and the Lord Auditor found the time to have lunch at the Galactic Club with their wives. Ekaterin and Jenna seemed to be on very good terms when they all sat down together. Ekaterin was well used to Komarrans, of course, and Jenna was naturally gregarious. She could make friends with anyone. It was something of a farewell meal, as the Vorkosigans were leaving the next day. Lord Vorkosigan needed to make his final report to the emperor in person, and Ekaterin was missing her children.

Jenna agreed with her. “I’m glad Riika is coming home. She’s had a wonderful time, but she needs to be back with her family. School is starting next week and I’m sure none of her uniforms will fit. She’s growing like a weed just now. Raine warned me her toes have reached the end of her shoes, too.”

Lauri marvelled at the ease with which Jenna used the countess’s name. She didn’t have the ingrained deference bred into her that most Barrayarans had. He would never think of addressing the count as Ivan, or even of using Lord Vorkosigan’s first name. It worked both ways, though. Lady Vorkosigan was quite at ease calling his wife Jenna, but she was careful to call him _Captain_. Perhaps it was because he was in uniform, but it was a nice difference. He was still thinking about it when the conversation turned to Jenna’s guidebook. Lady Vorkosigan loved it.

“I lived here for twenty years, Jenna, and I never knew about some of the the things you’ve listed. It’s so clever.”

Jenna deflected the praise. “It’s a fairly standard indexing system. I think I’ve just applied it in a different way. Not everybody is a geriatric resident or a young tourist couple. It’s all about your point of view, really, and finding out what you want to know.”

Ekaterin wouldn’t let her be so modest. “It’s brilliant. We need one for Vorbarr Sultana.”

Lauri agreed with her. “Countess Voralys said exactly the same thing for New Sheffield. I think Jenna should syndicate the concept. It would work for any big city.”

Lord Vorkosigan wasn’t about to be left out of _this_ conversation. “I have the very man who can set it up for you Jenna. My District business manager just thrives on this sort of thing. His name is Tsipis. I’ll put you in touch with him, with your permission.”

Lauri could see the wheels turning behind Jenna’s eyes. _Alliances_. If he knew her she wasn’t about to knock back this offer of help, and he was right.

Jenna smiled that brilliant smile of hers. “That would be wonderful! It’s a win-win. I get my new business off the ground, and we have a product that will really help people. Do you suppose I need to pay Byerly Vorrutyer a royalty? It was his idea to do this, you know.”

Ekaterin was inclined to be generous. “By can really help you. Even if it’s only a tiny percentage it’s a nice way to say thank you.”

Her husband just snorted. “Don’t encourage Byerly Vorrutyer. He’ll take advantage.”

Ekaterin turned on him. “Oh, nonsense, Miles. Your eyes turned green just then. He’s making a wonderful success of DoubleVee Aesthetica, and that’s benefitting _us_ , don’t you forget.” Ekaterin explained. “By and I are partners in a lifestyle and decorating business. He does the inside and I do the gardens. It’s starting to take off. It’s another reason I need to get back home. There’s only so much I can do from a continent away. I need to be on the spot and get my hands dirty. We have a commission from the Vorbarr Sultana Zoo, would you believe, to remodel their picnic lawns. They’re so dreadfully dull at the moment.”

Lauri remembered his briefings. “That’s why Vorrutyer came to Vandeville in the first place, isn’t it, to redecorate Madame Waleska’s house? Or it was a very neat cover for tracking down his sister. Who thought of that one?”

Lord Vorkosigan glanced at his chrono. “I think that was Ivan’s idea. We’d better not forget the time. We still have an agenda for this afternoon, don’t forget.”

They turned back to their meals. Lady Vorkosigan and Jenna lingered over their drinks when Lauri and Lord Vorkosigan had to leave. Lauri looked over his shoulder at the two of them with their heads together.

“They’re still plotting something,” he said. “Should we be worried?”

Lord Vorkosigan looked back. His wife kissed her fingers and waved. “Whatever it is we’re not wanted. We’ll find out eventually.”

Lauri suspected they were never going to get back to the old status quo, but it was a change to be normal again after all the frantic running around. The technical experts from Vorbarr Sultana outranked him, for one. They reported directly to Major Karasavas back in the capital. His superior was very good about keeping in him in the loop, but he’d become a bystander in the methodical taking apart of the Administration system. There was one more warrant, delayed by frantic manouvering in the Council of Counts. Lauri was relieved when it, too, was taken out of his hands. Lord Vormurtos was going to have to face his emperor directly. His fate wouldn’t be as clean or as quick as the two women. As a count’s heir he’d end up in the Great Square chained to a post once the formalities in the Council had been played out. He didn’t really approve of such a barbaric death, but it wasn’t for him to say.

The place was strangely quiet without Harrison, too. The Lord Auditor had been true to his word and taken him off in his retinue. It was a shame to lose such a good man, but it was for the benefit of the Imperial Service, after all. He couldn’t in good conscience stand in the man’s way.

Never mind the office, his _home_ was strangely quiet too, with Jenna thriving on her new responsibilities and the children so well cared for in the Galactic Club’s crèche when they were both on duty at the same time. Jenna worked a six day on two days off roster unlike his own five and two, so there would be days when he was in sole charge of his two children. It was going to do him a power of good, now that Jukka as well as Riika could interact with him. Riika hadn’t stopped talking about her holiday yet, probably never would, and most days she was allowed ten minutes to talk to Lady Marie and ten minutes to talk to Dono. Jenna was right, again, and the alliance she’d prophesied had morphed into a strong friendship. Talking to Dono often meant talking to Enzo before or after, and Lauri could see a subtle change in the armsman. Whether it was Juliette or the three children it was hard to say; probably a combination of both. Count Vortaine hadn’t found them yet. There’d been a couple of blustering, threatening calls but it was like water off a duck’s back. Vortaine could threaten all he wanted.

Lauri stretched out on the lawn chair in his back yard to enjoy the afternoon sun with Jukka sitting on his belly and Riika building an elaborate space port in the sand pit. Both he and Jenna had the next day off together, and they were going to go to the water park, with the warm weather holding the way it was. Right now he and Jukka were playing a fine game of bounce. It was a good workout for his stomach muscles, with Jukka getting heavier by the day. He was going to be a big boy, the way he was going. Hopefully not as big as Armsman Roic as they’d never be able to feed him if he did that.

His wrist com chimed. Lauri took a look at the code and swivelled to sit upright. He sat Jukka in the sand next to Riika before he answered. “My Lord Auditor? What may I do for you?”

“Ah, Captain Tuomonen. I’m sorry to break into your day off. Lieutenant Paxton patched me through. The emperor would like to see both you and Jenna at your convenience. Would tomorrow suit? I’ll be very happy to put you all up for the night at Vorkosigan House. Paxton can hold the fort again and I’ll send a note to Riika’s school. She’ll only miss the one day. You might like to show her the statue of Tristram the Trusty out in the Great Square here once you're done with His Imperial Majesty. I can swing it for you to see the real thing, too, if you don’t think it would be too traumatic. He’s stuffed in a case in Vorhartung Castle. I don’t mean he’s stuffed into the case, I mean he’s stuffed and in a display case, you understand.”

The man’s tongue ran away with him sometimes. It came from having a brain that worked faster than any mouth could. Lauri bowed to the inevitable. “Tomorrow, my lord?” His mind boggled at the amount of running around this was going to cause, but it was going to have to be done. A _request_ from the emperor wasn’t like a normal request that could be refused. Too bad about his lazy afternoon off in the lawn chair. He’d been looking forward to it. What was Jenna going to say about meeting the emperor? Wouldn’t _that_ be an alliance and a half?

“Er, yes, my lord, I think we can make tomorrow if there’s an early shuttle available.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll send a flyer for you. I can rustle one up from Tanery Base so the pilot can make it well within his hours. Be at the flyerport as close to 0800 as you can make it, Tuomonen, and oh, yes. Dress greens, please. The emperor will see you both at 1400. Bring the children with you. I’ll clear it all at this end.”

Lauri was left marvelling as Lord Vorkosigan cut the com. His first lucid thought after the shock was how was how to get Jukka’s laundry done in time. Riika was going to start thinking that gallivanting around the planet at the drop of a hat was perfectly normal. Speaking of which… “Riika, honey, you need to go get showered. I have to call your mother. We have to pack.”

Vorbarr Sultana. There was a noticeable chill in the air compared to Vandeville. An ImpSec car and driver met them at the shuttleport and whisked them off, not to The Residence as Lauri had presumed, but out to Vorkosigan House. He’d only ever driven past it before this. Lady Vorkosigan was there to meet them.

“Miles had to rush off. You know what he’s like, so he asked me to see that you’re comfortable. I’ll take you up to your rooms. You have half an hour before you need to leave for your appointment with the emperor, so Jankowski will rustle up some refreshments for you. Are you hungry, Riika?”

Riika reached for the hand that was held out to her. “Yes, ma’am. It’s a long way from Vandeville. Much further than New Sheffield.” She dropped her voice to a whisper and hopped from one foot to the other. “But I would like to use the bathroom first, please.”

“Oh, Heavens! Quickly, right this way.” Lady Vorkosigan was obviously well used to sudden emergencies. While they waited Roic walked past them with their luggage. He carried both large cases as easily as if they were data cases. The bigger one was for the children, of course. He brushed off offers to help.

“It’ll only take a minute, Captain. Don’t you worry.”

Riika reappeared with Lady Vorkosigan who took them off upstairs to two linking bedrooms. They were nowhere near as luxurious as the Galactic Club, but very quaint with their wooden wainscotted walls and parquet floors scattered with sheepskin rugs.

Lauri whispered to his wife. “Traditional Vorkosigan District furnishings.”

Jenna circled the rugs to lay Jukka on the bed. “I can cope. I suppose they ate the sheep first?”

“Waste not want not.” Lauri hurried to tidy himself up. He was suddenly nervous. The last time he’d seen the emperor was when he was commissioned. He didn’t want to be found wanting now.

“Are you worried?” Jenna had sensed his mood.

Lauri shrugged. “This is unusual. Officers just report up line. They don’t report directly to the emperor.”

“It’s not anything bad. They wouldn’t ask me to come if it was.”

“True.” Somehow, that didn’t reassure him, but he had very little time to try and work it out. The Vorkosigan’s ground car was soon at the door. He hadn’t realised Lady Vorkosigan was going to come with them.

“Just killing two birds with one stone,” she explained. “I have an appointment with the empress.”

As the groundcar made its way to the West Portico Lauri rather wished she’d used another metaphor. It did have advantages, though, travelling with a VIP. There was no waiting, anywhere, from being directed to the fast entry lane to the dedicated scanner desk and even to having an escort waiting for them, rather than the duty corporal having to scrounge one up. With Lady Vorkosigan leading, Riika clinging to his hand and Jenna guiding Jukka’s stroller they were whisked along silent corridors, Before he really knew it they were in the emperor’s secretary’s office. Lady Vorkosigan had come all the way with them. Wasn’t she going to see the empress? _Something was going on._

It was 1358. The secretary gave them a quick once over and seemed satisfied. He reminded Lauri what to do. “March in, salute, remain at attention until invited to move.” He was a little less formal with Jenna. “Sera Tuomonen, either a bow or a curtsey would be appropriate, whatever you feel comfortable with. The empress is also present, so an acknowledgement to both would be the way to go. I’ll take charge of the float stroller so you’re not hampered. And you, young lady,” he winked at Riika. “Can you curtsey?”

She promptly showed him. “That’s excellent. There’s no need to talk unless someone speaks to you.” He glanced at the large timepiece on the wall. “Everyone ready?” He crossed the room, pressed the button and ushered them in, Lady Vorkosigan leading the way. “Your Imperial Highnesses: Lady Vorkosigan, Captain Lauri Tuomonen, Sera Jenna Tuomonen, Miss Riika Tuomonen and Master Jukka Tuomonen.”

There were several people in the room, standing near the window by a cluster of armchairs and couches. Lauri recognised the emperor and empress immediately, of course. She was dressed in Komarran corporate wear of wide-legged trousers and a boxy jacket, a nice touch as Jenna had chosen a very similar outfit. Lord Auditor Vorkosigan he recognised, as he did General Allegre. There was another ImpSec officer, a major. He’d only seen him on the com before; Major Karasavas, his superior officer. An armsman, resplendent in black and silver, stood to one side holding a tray.

The emperor acknowledged his salute. “Good afternoon, Captain Tuomonen. Please remain at attention as we have a small formality. Sera Tuomonen and Riika, welcome to Vorbarr Sultana. This is my wife, the Empress Laisa. Would you like to join her for a moment?”

They all rearranged themselves. The secretary parked Jukka next to the armsman and produced a small vid camera from his pocket. At a nod from the emperor the armsman stepped forward and held out a tray for him to take a sheet of real paper.

Lauri suddenly realised what was going on. He flicked Jenna a startled glance but had time to do nothing more as the emperor started to read the warrant.

“We, reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage and Integrity do hereby promote Lauri Janik Tuomonen to the rank of Major. You are in such manner and on such occasions as may be prescribed by Us to guide, exercise and discipline both the Inferior Officers and Non-Commissioned Members serving under you in Our Imperial Service and use your best endeavour to keep them in good Order and Discipline. By Our order, Gregor Vorbarra, Head of the Barrayaran Imperium.” He paused for a moment and smiled. “Congratulations, Major! Sera Tuomonen, would you like to do the honours?” He picked up a set of purple major’s collar patches and held them out to her.

Lord Vorkosigan started the clapping as Jenna, her eyes swimming with tears, swapped out his patches and reached up to kiss him. “About time, too,” she whispered into his ear so that no-one else could hear.

“Stand easy, Major.” The emperor stepped forward to shake his hand, followed by the others. Major Karasavas, at the end of the queue, gave him a brisk nod of approval. “You’re a man after my own heart, Tuomonen. I’ve very much enjoyed working with you.”

Lauri stammered as he tried to answer. “Tha…thank you very much, sir. The pleasure is mutual.”

“Don’t _sir_ me any more. We’re equals now, don’t forget.”

Empress Laisa gathered up the ladies and children. “We are going to have some tea and talk about a few things. We’ll be right next door when you gentlemen finish rearranging the Empire to your satisfaction.”

Jenna kissed his cheek in farewell as the secretary led her and Riika out. There was a sparkle in her eye. _Alliances_.

The emperor sat down and indicated the others to join him as his armsman departed to find a refreshment tray. “So, gentlemen. You all found me a rare can of worms in Vandeville. I’m more grateful than you can ever know, Major Tuomonen, that you uncovered the plot to harm my family.” He paused for a moment, his face grave. “I wanted to thank you in person. Laisa is braver than I am. She chose this life. She will never have cause to regret it.” His manner changed again and became more businesslike. “Tell me everything that's between the lines in those reports. Have we really nipped this in the bud? Are there any loose ends, still? What are we going to do about Count Vortaine?”

It was back to business. 


	22. An offer he can't refuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauri is no match for a pair of Komarrans.

Miles Vorkosigan took advantage of the diversion when Armsman Gerard brought in refreshments for them all. He leaned over to Tuomonen. “I found out what Ekaterin and Jenna were up to the other day. Ekaterin wanted to put Jenna’s name forward for a committee the empress is organising. It’s going to be a help organisation for galactic women trying to cope with Barrayar. Ekaterin told me Jenna seemed keen.”

Tuomonen’s expression turned from initial dismay to resigned acceptance. “I’m sure she would be. How is that going to work with us in Vandeville?”

There was no time to say any more. Tuomonen stuck to tea, Miles noticed, giving up the chance to try one of the emperor’s excellent red wines. He sat back and listened, answering questions when asked, but not finding it necessary to interrupt anyone until it came to the discussion about the Vortaines.

Gregor wasn’t happy about Count Vortaine continually banging on his door. “I don’t want to see this young boy taken away from his mother, but right now my hands are tied. Count Vortaine clearly has the law on his side. I’m going to have to help him find Juliette soon, much as I don’t want to.”

Major Karasavas hadn’t given the matter much attention, as it was out of his remit. “What’s the count’s motive, Sire? Is it genuine concern for the boy, or something else?”

Tuomonen finally offered some information. “It’s something else. When he turned up in Vandeville his first concern was for his nephew’s estate. The boy was a means to get his hands on it. There’s no family loyalty. Count Vortaine had completely cut the ties to his half brother.”

Gregor nodded. “Could you explain to the others what you found out? It might help us somewhere along the line.”

“Yes, sire. The old Count Vortaine put aside his first wife. He locked her up in Vandeville but she was still alive and not divorced when the count went through a form of marriage with his second countess. He bought a back-dated divorce from Yuri and hushed everything up. The present count was confirmed as heir by count’s choice, but his younger brother was the legitimate child. Gervaise Vortaine is that man’s son. His father met with misfortune. I’ll be looking into that as well as the countess’s unfortunate demise when the dust settles on these other matters as they both occurred in Imperial territory. There’s no statute of limitation on murder.”

Miles wasn’t convinced it was anything they could use. “Count’s choice is a rock solid defence, these days, after René Vorbretten’s case.”

“True,” Gregor nodded. “He might not like the gossip, though. We can rely on Byerly Vorrutyer for anything we need on that front.”

Tuomonen’s eyes widened. He obviously wasn’t used to Vorbarr Sultana politics. Miles sipped on his wine. He’d soon learn. “What else can we use?”

Tuomonen went on. “I told the count when he came banging on the counter that the estate was confiscated. I don’t think he believed me.”

“Well, that’s a mistake we can have rectified. I have plans for that estate. He won’t be too keen on spending his own hard cash on the boy’s upbringing. Anything else anyone can think of?”

General Allegre was more old school than the rest of them. Miles got the idea he didn’t wholeheartedly approve of the discussion. “Surely the only thing to do would be to provide the child with an alternate male guardian, one acceptable to the count. Madame Vortaine will have to re-marry. There’s no other legal way out of it.”

Major Karasavas threw up his hands in a very Greekie gesture. “From what I’ve read she’d sooner slit her throat. I can’t say I blame her.”

They sat in gloomy silence for a moment. Tuomonen frowned, as if thinking, then sat up straighter. “Maybe not. I’m not entirely sure, but there _may_ be a candidate. Unless I very much miss my guess he’d be more than willing to marry her. It all depends on how she feels about him, of course.”

Miles guessed straight away. “Enzo Devaux? You think he’s er…sweet on her?”

“He loves the kids, Dono especially. What’s more to the point, they absolutely adore _him_. Jenna and I saw that for ourselves when we visited. Juliette might be persuaded to act in their best interest.”

Gregor had perked up at this development. “You think Major Devaux, Armsman Devaux I mean, would be stable enough to take on a family of four?”

“He’s stable enough to hold down his armsman’s appointment with great credit. He’s trusted to take on the night duty guard all by himself. Count Voralys has been very good for him.”

Gregor considered the idea. “We can perhaps hold off Vortaine for two or three more weeks. That might let things develop. Miles, would you have a word to Ivan? He may well know more than we do, or those two Betan dynamos of his. They’d be sure to find out all there is to know. We’ll have to have a conference at some point with Juliette and the count. I think we’ve done everything we can for now. Thank you all. Major Tuomonen, would you be so good as to stay back for a moment, please, and Miles, you too?”

Allegre and Karasavas made their bows and left. Gregor waited until the door closed behind him. “Now that I’ve met you, Major, I think Lord Vorkosigan is right in his judgement and recommendation. I’m looking for a special person for a very important job, and I think you might be it.”

Miles could see the wheels turning. “You must know, Lauri, what the traditional reward for a job well done is?”

Tuomonen nodded. “Another job. Of course I’m at your command, sire, but I have unfinished business in Vandeville, and my wife has just accepted a job she loves down there.”

Gregor didn’t seem to be put off by his hesitation. “I understand that it’s only a temporary position at the Galactic Club, though. The transition into the job I’m considering you for will take a few months. There’s also an opening for your wife, if she’s interested.”

“The Lord Auditor told me about Empress Laisa’s committee. It might work. Jenna has always been very supportive of my career, Sire, but I thought it was about time I started supporting her for a change. If the empress _is_ considering her for a position on a committee it would be a shame to tear her away, _again_.”

“Your loyalty is commendable, Major, but I should explain. I would like you to take charge of my wife’s close protection squad when Colonel Vorville retires. He’s coming up for his twice twenty at Winterfair. I need somebody younger to take the role. You’d be based here in Vorbarr Sultana and will report to the chief of Residence Security, Colonel Vortala. And if I have this correctly, _my_ wife is offering _your_ wife the position of executive housekeeper here at The Residence, on the recommendation of Lady Vorkosigan. The job comes with a suite of rooms and the best child care in town. Not only that, you’d have the best _address_ in Vorbarr Sultana and _no_ commute, which Lord Vorkosigan here tells me is a bitch sometimes.”

Tuomonen opened and shut his mouth like a stranded fish. The emperor took pity on him. “There are a great many things to think about. It will mean signing on for a second twenty, for a start. That doesn’t suit everybody. Shall we go and join the ladies? You might feel like something a little stronger than that cup of tea you confined yourself to. Yes, I did notice. It was another tick in your favour, but I don’t think I really needed the confirmation. You’ll have the rest of the afternoon and evening to consider the offer. You’ll need to discuss it with your wife, of course.”

Tuomonen leapt to his feet to reach the door ahead of the emperor. With no armsman in the room he took it on himself to check the outer room. Miles smiled. “He’s a natural, Gregor. I told you so.”

“I do believe you’re right. I hope they accept. The fuss Laisa is going to cause with her appointment will distract the counts from the Vormurtos verdict, too.”

Miles joined Ekaterin in the Empress’s parlour, a comfortable reception room down the corridor from Gregor’s office. She smiled as he took her hand. “Jenna has forgiven me for fibbing to her just a little. I fibbed a bit to you, as well. The committee was just an excuse to get Jenna here so Laisa could take a good look at her, but it might just happen after all. It’s a good idea in itself. What do you think of the executive housekeeper role? Lady Alys had everything at her fingertips for years, but no one person can match Alys. Delia will work up to be protocol secretary but she didn’t want to organise all the day to day nitty gritty as well. Jenna will be just marvellous. Being Komarran is a big plus for her. She won’t get at all upset at Laisa’s direct speaking and she won’t be too backwards about coming forwards, either. The present housekeeper is far too deferential to suit Laisa _and_ she wants to retire. I really think it’s a win-win.”

Miles wasn’t completely happy at being kept out of the loop. “It’s a real changing of the guard, in more ways than one. Did _you_ know about Gregor’s plan?”

Ekaterin’s eyebrows pulled down a little. “What plan?”

He wasn’t the only one in the dark, then. “Gregor has just offered Major Tuomonen the position of Commander of the Empress’s Close Protection Squad. He’s thinking about it.”

Ekaterin was delighted. “Oh, that’s perfect! He’s really proved his loyalty, and he’s more than competent. With his Komarran experience he’ll suit Laisa, too. I hope he accepts.”

Ekaterin and Miles drifted over to the group that formed around Jenna. Laisa was talking as if it was all a done deal. “I’ve just had the most marvellous idea, Jenna. I hope you’re going to let me call you Jenna in private. —I know it will have to be Sera Tuomonen in front of everyone else.— Why don’t we produce a version of your guidebook for The Residence itself? It would be a wonderful help getting around the place. There are always visitors and ambassadors and the like and then they wouldn’t need the swarm of escorts we have to employ.”

Miles was just about to shoot her down when Tuomonen did it for him. “That’s an appalling idea!” He hurriedly explained himself. “I’m sorry, Your Imperial Majesty, but we can’t have foreigners wandering around The Residence, and especially not if we hand them the directions to the armoury and the private quarters and who knows what else as well. The Imperial Security personnel aren’t guides. They’re _guards_.”

Laisa took it in good part. “I hadn’t thought that one through, had I? I hope you’ll decide to take the position, Major Tuomonen. I really do need a keeper, sometimes, not just a housekeeper.”

It was Jenna’s turn to be surprised. “What position? Have you been offered something as well, Lauri?”

He nodded. “The emperor would like me to take charge of the empress’s security detail. There’s a lot to think about. If I accept we’ll have to move to Vorbarr Sultana permanently. Riika will have to change schools. Where is Riika, by the way?”

Alarmed, they all looked around. Riika was deep in conversation with Gregor, sitting on a couch near Jukka’s floor mat. The baby had mastered the art of rolling and now he’d worked out how to get his knees under him. It wouldn’t be long before the chaos of him crawling started.

Jenna gasped. “Oh, no! I’d better go rescue His Majesty!”

Laisa put out a hand to stop her. “You leave them be. He’s loving it. Look how relaxed he is.”

Reassured on that front it struck Jenna what her husband had just said. Her head snapped back around. “What do you mean, Lauri, _if_ you accept? Of course you’re going to accept. Why would you turn down an honour like that?”

Miles suppressed a grin. Hadn’t the man learned about Komarrans yet, and female Komarrans at that? He had no show of arguing when their minds were made up.

“I’d love to take the job if the empress thinks I would suit, Jenna, but I couldn’t take a step like that without consulting _you_ first, love. It has to be a family decision, not just mine.”

Jenna turned back to the empress and bobbed a curtsey. It looked a bit strange in her Komarran pants, but no doubt they’d come up with something to suit. “My husband says thank you very much, ma’am. He’d love to accept.”

“Excellent!” Laisa beamed at them. “It won’t be for a few weeks, but now I can start to plan. What else has been happening while I’ve been worrying about sheets and towels? Have you heard from your armsman, Miles?”

“Pym? Yes. We couldn’t persuade him to go any further than Komarr with his wife. She’s happy to just take her daughter for company. She’ll have Mark to look after her, of course, when she gets to Escobar. Pym’s already on his way back to Vorbarr Sultana.”

Laisa shook her head. “All of our armsmen are workaholics, too. They’re all terrified something’s going to happen when they’re off watch. Don’t tell me you won’t be happy to have him back. You’re a double act, you and Pym.”

Ekaterin answered before Miles could think of a thing to say. “We _do_ miss Pym. No one is indispensable, but he comes very close to it.”

Gregor finished his talk with Riika and came back over to join them. He had a twinkle in his eye. “What a delightful young lady. I’ve just been hearing all about her marriage plans.”

Jenna held her head in her hand. “Is she still fixed on that plan? Poor Dono. I think a move to the capital will be just the thing for her. Either that or her visit to see Tristram the Trusty should put it out of her head.”

Gregor caught on. “Tristram? Oh, yes. Emperor Dorca’s horse. I’ll have a word to the curator over at Vorhartung. If she’s very very good he’ll let her sit on his back. Are you going there after this? She needs some reward for being so good.”

It was a subtle signal and Tuomonen took the hint. In a very few minutes he had his family all rounded up. Gerard escorted them to the entrance. Miles alerted Roic out at the groundcar they were coming.

“He’ll drop them off, come back and take Ekaterin and me home, and then go back out and fetch them in time for dinner. I think it all went very well, don’t you?”

“Indeed. One of your wizard wheezes, Miles, and not a bad one at all.” Gregor glanced at his chrono. “I know Ekaterin wants to visit the nursery. Would you like to come? Xav should be awake. We like to check on him round about now, when circumstances permit.”

Miles knew perfectly well Gregor and Laisa has been checking on Xav at all hours of the day and night since they’d heard about the plot. As a matter of fact, he’d quite like to check on the Crown Prince himself.

It was a relief to have Pym home again, and the preliminary news from Escobar was very encouraging. Pym slipped back into his role without a ripple. Miles took him along to The Residence when Gregor couldn’t put off Count Vortaine any longer. The fool had been threatening the vote on the Komarran Solar Array. The man must have a death wish.

Miles hadn’t seen much of Byerly Vorrutyer. He’d come along with Count Dono to put on a united front. Ivan was there, too. He’d brought Juliette up from New Sheffield. The cat was out of the bag and his lazy cousin was not the flavour of the month with Count Vortaine. It suited Ivan just fine. When he shook hands with Miles he muttered under his breath.

“That lad goes back to the Vortaines over my dead body. His father really did a number on him, didn’t he?”

Miles agreed. “He did, but I don’t think you have to worry. Gregor’s got this well under control—would you look at that sorry sight?”

Count Vortaine’s armsman had just preceded his count into Gregor’s office. Apart from the truly hideous livery, the man looked like a startled deer. He obviously wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, either, as Gerard had to show him where to stand. Compared to the Vorrutyer, Voralys, Vorkosigan and Vorbarra armsmen, well there was no comparison. Miles gave up worrying about the armsman and concentrated on the count himself. It looked like he’d come looking for trouble.

It was imperative that Gregor nipped this custody fight in the bud. Now that Vortaine had found out where Juliette had been hiding he could present a petition in the Council for little Dono’s return. It looked like big Dono and Byerly knew it, too.

Gregor stayed calm. He pulled the rug out from under Vortaine's feet by inches. The news that the estate had been sequestrated shouldn’t have shocked the man as Tuomonen had warned him, but it did. The advantages gained by acquiring custody of his great nephew suddenly evaporated before his eyes. Miles really was watching a master at work.

The brilliant way Gregor manoeuvred Vortaine into accepting Enzo Devaux as Dono’s guardian had him chortling with delight. As soon as Vortaine left the room Miles exchanged a triumphant high five with Ivan, who was sitting next to him. “Yes! Done like a dinner. Gregor is brilliant!”

Ivan exercised some very rare tact. He wasn’t really known for it. “Our presence is no longer required, Miles. You can give me a lift and we’ll leave the family to sort out the details.” They were about to head out when Ivan remembered a technicality. “Did you want to say something to me, Devaux?”

Devaux marched over and stood to attention in front of his liege lord. “There hasn’t been a proposal as yet, but just in case, My Lord Count, I request your permission to marry so that my sons may serve you.”

Miles held his breath. It would be just like his cousin to put a spanner in the works. He could see the mischief in his face.

“This is very sudden. Are you sure about this, Devaux? It’s a big step, you know.”

Ivan had the vilest sense of humour. Miles snapped at him. “Knock it off, Ivan.”

“Oh, all right. Can’t a man enjoy himself?” Ivan shook hands with his armsman. “Of course you have my permission, Devaux. Congratulations, I hope. I’ll need you on duty in the morning for the flight back to New Sheffield. Madame V—Juliette wants to get back to her children, and I want to see my wife. Come on, Miles, what are we waiting for? We haven’t got all day. Good morning, sire. That was one spectacular piece of work.”

Miles ushered him out before he could do any more damage. “Come on, Ivan. Let’s go to Shoko’s and celebrate. I’ll even pay. _This once_.”

Count Voralys slapped him on the back. “What an excellent idea. I’d better call Major Tuomonen before we finish the first bottle. I warned him his services might be wanted.”

Miles halted in his tracks. “Tuomonen? Whatever for?”

“To be Devaux’s second, of course. He’s the one that let me know what was going on.”

“Tuomonen, eh? Of course. Let’s drink to his good health.”

Ivan slapped him on the back again. “Now you’re getting the idea, coz. He’s one of yours, after all. The all-seeing Eye of Horus.”

The End


End file.
